Trump threatens to block new US-Canada bridge over trade disputes

US President Donald Trump has threatened to block the opening of a new bridge connecting the United States and Canada, citing a lack of "fairness and respect" from the Canadian government amid ongoing trade tensions.

"I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them, and also, importantly, Canada treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Monday.

He also demanded that the bridge, the Gordie Howe International Bridge over the Detroit River, be at least half-owned by the US, adding that negotiations would begin immediately.

The bridge links the city of Windsor in the Canadian province of Ontario with Detroit in the US state of Michigan and is designed to carry six lanes of traffic as well as pedestrians and cyclists.

Canada is funding construction, which is to be recouped through tolls, and the bridge is scheduled to open later this year. Officials have said it will boost trade between the neighbouring countries.

Trump criticized Canada for not using US products such as steel in construction and for its recently announced limited engagement with China on trade, a move that had already prompted him to threaten 100% tariffs on Canadian imports and tariffs on Canadian aircraft.

Trump has frequently used tariff threats to press his policies, sometimes without following through. His remarks come after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney drew attention at the World Economic Forum in Davos with a speech widely interpreted as a critique of Trump's "America First" approach.

The US president has repeatedly expressed his wish to make Canada the 51st US state.