In the midst of the tariffs of US President Donald Trump, who triggered a trade war with Canada, cross-border trips before the expected opening in the autumn of the new international bridge, which connects the two countries.
Canadians – not Americans – have the entire bill for the Gordie Howe International Bridge.
In 2024, according to the Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA), the price tag rose by around $ 700 million to a total of $ 6.4 billion.
While a more precise opening date has not yet been published, September was the goal. The delay in the original November start was defined by problems related to the Covid 19 pandemic.
The Gordie Howe Bridge is located west of the other two intersections along the Detroit River, which connect Windsor and Detroit: the ambassador bridge and the Detroit windsor tunnel, both of which bring traffic directly to the streets of the windsor.
The Gordie Howe Bridge is removed from the traffic of populated areas and connect the Highway 401 and the I-75 to Michigan.
After Trump’s recently introduced tariffs – especially those in which the automotive industry is involved – the border crossings across Canada have dropped considerably. This includes a severe decline in almost 67,000 vehicles in the two windsor crossings in March compared to the same period last year.
When asked whether the trade war has influenced something in connection with the construction of the Gordie Howe Bridge or the projections for traffic levels, the WDBA spokesman Manny Paiva said that his agency was only able to comment after the end of the federal election on April 28th.
“Our media interaction is limited to the support of the democratic process,” he said.
When the political and economic climate between neighboring countries comes across the opening of the bridge, Shooshan Danagoulian expects traffic and trade to worsen.
“I think we should expect to see reduced projections,” said the business professor at Wayne State University in Detroit.
“At the same time, we should not lose an overview of the fact that the bridge was built with a (long) timeline … and not just a presidency.”
Danagoulian said no matter how strongly the relationship between Canada and the United States had been preserved, it should not affect the future profitability of the bridge.
“Regardless of whether trade and traffic and the transactions that the bridge will create at the opening, it will more than compensate for in the long term. It should benefit people in the country. Therefore, a short distance may not be the best predictor for the usefulness of a bridge.”
According to Danagoulian, US manufacturers and consumers would simply accept higher costs for trading with Canada and buy these products.
“I don’t think there is enough space for Americans to … change your consumption patterns in this way. I expect in the new normality, we will all only pay much more for nothing.”
“Be an optimist”
Ryan Donally, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Windsor-Assex, said that he has hope that despite the trade war he would refer to the Gordie Howe Crossing.
“I will continue to be an optimist,” said Donally.
“I have to think that quieter heads will prevail … that this will be a slip on the radar.”
Donly called the bridge a “multi -generation investment” that symbolizes the long -cherished relationship between the two countries.
“I believe that this may change the Canadian strategy in the long term because it refers to the United States? Yes, to a certain degree … but I still think … that globalization is still important because there are advantages, depending on where they are in the world and whether they are cost advantages or material advantages or performance advantages.”
With regard to the highway 401 to 1-75. He says it is basically the same street.
Donally said that the attractiveness of combining Montreal with Florida without meeting a traffic light remains a fascinating option for travelers and partners in trucks and in other industries.
“This freely flowing … simple movement of goods and services at this limit and this extremely important economic main artery was relieved by the Gordie Howe Bridge.”
“Incredibly grateful” Canada
The Detroit regional chamber said that Americans and people from Michigan – especially in the auto industry – were “incredibly grateful” to the Canadian government because they dug deeply and built the bridge.
Sandy Baruah said that the Trump government’s tariff policy was “a lot in progress” and he was loud against her strategy.
“It is obviously not nice at the moment,” he said.
“It is very the wrong step, especially for Michigan, since our economy is so integrated in Canada.”
Baruah said it would take some time for traffic to be moved across the bridge when the current economic and political environment continues.
“Is there a differential contribution and an existing one that may be the tariff policy? Absolutely. But we hope that these tariff problems can certainly be solved by autumn.”
Baruah said Gordie Howe Bridge was a natural result of the demand for trade between the countries.
“When I look at the bridge, I see it. I see that it reacts to a very real trade and business need. This is obviously the reason why the Canadian government spent its treasures to build the bridge.”
According to Baruah, the people enthusiastic about the bridge are the same people who are not happy about the president’s tariff policy.
Monitor Trucking Associations carefully
If the tariffs are extended until the Gordie Howe Bridge is opened, he expects the new and existing intersections to be “undoubtedly” affected, said Marco Beghetto, a spokesman for both the Ontario Trucking Association and for Canadian trucking alliance.
“We hear back, is a certain confusion on the border on both sides of the border. Senders, airlines, customs brokers … try to understand the changes in your custom processes during the fly,” said Beghetto.
Beghetto said that confusion is a “steep learning curve” for everyone as to how to use and where tariffs and duties are used.
“It can still be tightened (on the Gordie Howe Bridge later this year) … It is a new bridge with new processes, and then add a kind of tariff.
