Commercial trucks queue on the Ambassador Bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor. The Detroit-Windsor corridor carries roughly one-quarter of U.S.-Canada trade.

DETROIT – The nearly completed Gordie Howe International Bridge was designed to reduce risk in one of North America’s most critical trade corridors. Now it is at the center of a political dispute that could directly affect Michigan’s manufacturing economy.

President Donald Trump has publicly questioned whether the bridge should open as planned, raising concerns about ownership, U.S. construction content and broader trade tensions with Canada. The comments have triggered economic anxiety on both sides of the Detroit River.

Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, who negotiated the 2012 crossing agreement that created the project, responded this week with a point-by-point clarification — arguing that delaying the bridge would primarily harm American businesses and workers.

For Michigan, the issue is less about politics and more about supply chains.

Why This Bridge Matters To Michigan

Roughly one-quarter of all U.S.–Canada trade flows through the Detroit-Windsor corridor. That includes billions of dollars in automotive components moving daily between Michigan assembly plants and Ontario suppliers.

Modern vehicle production depends on just-in-time logistics. Delays at the border ripple quickly through factories in Detroit, Lansing, Flint and beyond.

The existing Ambassador Bridge — privately owned by the Moroun family — has served as the primary commercial crossing for decades. But manufacturers have long raised concerns about congestion, aging infrastructure and lack of redundancy.

The Gordie Howe bridge was built to address that vulnerability.

A second, modern span reduces bottlenecks, increases reliability and creates competitive pressure in toll pricing — all factors that matter to Michigan exporters.

Ownership Structure: What The Agreement Says

In a Truth Social post, Trump suggested Canada owns both sides of the bridge.

Snyder says that is incorrect.

Under the international crossing agreement, Canada and the State of Michigan are 50/50 owners. Canada financed construction upfront and will be repaid with interest through toll revenues. Michigan and the U.S. secured half ownership without a direct capital investment.

From a financial standpoint, Snyder describes that structure as advantageous for Michigan.

The project was negotiated during his administration specifically to avoid putting Michigan taxpayers on the hook for construction costs.

Construction Content And Buy America Questions

Trump also questioned whether the bridge was built with sufficient U.S. content.

Snyder clarified that a limited Buy America waiver applied only to the span itself because half of the structure physically sits in Canada. The Michigan customs plaza and U.S.-side approach were built with American materials and labor, while the Canadian side used Canadian resources.

The binational nature of the project makes it different from domestic-only infrastructure projects.

For Michigan manufacturers, the key issue is not material sourcing — it is throughput capacity.

The Economic Incentive Question

If the bridge opening is delayed, who benefits?

Snyder points to one clear answer: the owner of the Ambassador Bridge.

The Moroun family has opposed the Gordie Howe project for years. In 2012, the family reportedly spent more than $30 million backing a statewide ballot proposal aimed at blocking construction. The company has also maintained active lobbying efforts in Lansing and Washington over the past decade.

From a pure market standpoint, the dynamic is straightforward.

The Ambassador Bridge has long operated as the dominant freight crossing between Detroit and Windsor. The Gordie Howe bridge introduces direct competition.

Competition typically increases capacity, reduces pricing power and shifts market share.

That reality explains why manufacturers and trade groups have supported the new crossing — and why an incumbent operator might prefer the status quo.

What A Delay Would Mean For Michigan

The Detroit-Windsor corridor supports:

  • Automotive manufacturing

  • Advanced manufacturing suppliers

  • Agriculture exports

  • Cross-border logistics firms

Any delay in opening the new bridge preserves a single-point-of-failure risk in one of the most concentrated trade corridors in North America.

Snyder argues that while Canada has invested heavily in the project, the negative economic impacts of a delay would be felt more acutely in the United States because of the size and structure of cross-border manufacturing operations.

In practical terms, slower crossings increase shipping costs. Higher logistics costs eventually flow through to manufacturers and consumers.

For Michigan, that means margin pressure on suppliers already operating in a globally competitive environment.

Trade Disputes Vs. Infrastructure Leverage

Trump also referenced Canadian dairy tariffs — a long-running trade dispute.

Snyder acknowledged those concerns are legitimate issues that should be negotiated at the federal level. But he argues that using a nearly completed binational infrastructure project as leverage may not be the most efficient tool.

There are established trade mechanisms to address tariff disagreements. The bridge itself was structured as a joint economic asset designed to enhance trade flow, not serve as a bargaining chip.

For Michigan businesses, separating those issues matters.

The Bottom Line For Michigan

The Gordie Howe International Bridge is not simply a transportation project. It is a structural upgrade to the economic backbone of Southeast Michigan.

The question facing policymakers is not ideological. It is operational:

Does Michigan benefit from more capacity, more redundancy and more competition at its busiest international trade gateway?

Manufacturers, logistics operators and regional economic development groups have consistently answered yes.

If the bridge opens on schedule, Michigan gains a second high-capacity crossing that reduces long-term supply chain risk.

If it does not, the immediate political headline may dominate — but the long-term economic math will remain.

For Michigan’s trade-dependent economy, reliability is not optional.

It is infrastructure.