WASHINGTON, 10 February (H.S.): President Donald Trump issued a stark ultimatum on Monday, February 9, 2026, via Truth Social, threatening to halt the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge until Canada redresses perceived trade inequities, demanding U.S. ownership of at least half the $4.7 billion span linking Windsor, Ontario, with Detroit, Michigan.

Construction Milestone Meets Presidential Fury

Initiated in 2018 and slated for late 2026 completion, the cable-stayed bridge—named for hockey icon Gordie Howe—promises enhanced cross-border freight capacity amid annual commerce exceeding $600 billion; Trump decried Canada's unilateral ownership of both approaches and minimal incorporation of American materials, labor, or steel.

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 posted, mandating IMMEDIATELY negotiations while castigating Prime Minister Mark Carney's January Beijing visit yielding a preliminary China trade pact—prompting U.S. threats of 100% tariffs.

Hockey Hyperbole and Governance Critique

The 79-year-old commander-in-chief reiterated hyperbolic flourishes, alleging Beijing would terminate ALL Ice Hockey being played in Canada, echoing his January 2025 inauguration vow to annex the northern neighbor as the 51st state—a notion since tempered but fueling bilateral friction.

Carney, at January Davos, decried Trump's rupture of post-WWII order, advocating mid-tier alliances; this salvo compounds tariff skirmishes since Trump's second-term inception, with Ottawa bracing for retaliatory duties amid integrated auto supply chains.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar