it has given to its northern neighbour. The Gordie Howe International Bridge, connecting the Canadian province of Ontario to the US state of Michigan, would not open until Ottawa "treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve", Trump wrote on social media. According to the project's website, the bridge is being funded by the Canadian government but will be publicly owned by both Canada and Michigan. Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat, said closing the "incredibly important infrastructure project" would be "awful for our state's economy".

The move could have "serious repercussions" she said in a post on X: "Higher costs for Michigan businesses, less secure supply chains, and ultimately, fewer jobs." It is not clear how Trump could block its opening but he said negotiations would begin immediately, without elaborating. The bridge, which spans the Detroit River and is named after late Canadian hockey legend Gordie Howe, who played for the Detroit Red Wings, is expected to open to traffic pending formal tests and approvals in the early part of this year. Construction began in 2018, but the project has been a point of contention between the countries for more than a decade. It is estimated to have cost $6.4bn CAD (£3.4bn), according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). In the statement on his Truth Social platform, Trump said that the US should own "at least one half of this asset". He also suggested that Canada owned both the Canadian and US sides of the bridge. The organisation developing the bridge, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, is a Canadian federal Crown corporation, an organisation that is wholly owned by the government but operates at arm's length. Trump wrote: "The Canadian Government expects me, as President of the United States, to PERMIT them to just 'take advantage of America!'" "I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them," he added. He also blamed former President Barack Obama for allowing construction to begin without the use of any US steel. (BBC)