Skip to Content Subscribe Our Offers My Account Manage My Subscriptions FAQ Newsletters Canada Canadian True Crime Canadian Politics Health World Israel & Middle East Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Comics NP News Quiz New York Times Crossword Horoscopes Life Eating & Drinking Style Sponsored Play for Ontario Travel Travel Canada Travel USA Travel International Cruises Travel Essentials Culture Books Celebrity Movies Music Theatre Television Business Essentials Advice Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Buy Canadian Home Living Outdoor Living Kitchen & Dining Tech Style & Beauty Personal Care Entertainment & Hobbies Gift Guide Travel Guide Amazon Prime Day Deals Savings National Post Store More Sports Hockey Baseball Basketball Football Soccer Golf Tennis Driving Vehicle Research Reviews News Gear Guide Obituaries Place an Obituary Place an In Memoriam Classifieds Place an Ad Celebrations Working Business Ads Archives Healthing Epaper Manage Print Subscription Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ Newsletters Canada World Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Life Shopping Epaper Manage Print Subscription HomeNewsCanadaWorldCanada, U.S. contradict each other on financial terms of Gordie Howe Bridge dealMark Carney and the White House last Friday announced an agreement to open the Gordie Howe Bridge after the U.S. delayed itAuthor of the article: You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.The Gordie Howe International Bridge shown from Windsor, Ontario in June 2026. Photo by Dan Janisse /WIndsor StarThe US and Canada are presenting different accounts of a profit-sharing deal President Donald Trump agreed to that permits a new bridge connecting Michigan and Ontario to open later this month.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorThe White House and the government of Prime Minister Mark Carney last Friday announced an agreement to open the Gordie Howe International Bridge after the US delayed it. Canada will fund a regional development agency by sharing a portion of net toll profits from bridge traffic, which Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had been seeking.Since then, however, both governments have offered only limited details that have painted different pictures of the terms. The Gordie Howe International Bridge seen from Windsor, Ont., on Monday, July 13, 2026. Photo by Dan Janisse/Windsor Star/PostmediaGet a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againCarney told a Canadian television network that debt costs would be factored into the calculation of the bridge’s profit. That’s important because Canada paid the entire C$6.4 billion ($4.6 billion) construction cost. Annual interest on that amount would be hundreds of millions of Canadian dollars. Deducting interest would reduce the profit and, therefore, the US share.“We are sharing after Canada is paid back. So we get the revenues, then the servicing of the cost of the bridge and paying the debt of the bridge. And then what’s left over, there’s a split of that for 15 years,” the prime minister told CTV News on July 12.A US official, however, contradicted Carney’s account and said that neither loan interest nor depreciation would be included in the calculation. That view suggests fewer expenses to offset the revenue and, thus, a larger share for the US. The official spoke on condition they not be identified discussing private matters.At this point, there’s no sign the discrepancy will jeopardize the bridge’s planned opening on July 27. U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at a working lunch with leaders of G7 and the Middle East, on June 16, 2026 in Evian-les-Bains, France. Photo by Pool /Getty ImagesOn Tuesday, Carney’s spokesperson, Audrey Champoux, did not provide a specific answer when asked to clarify whether debt service costs are deducted before the US share of toll profits is calculated.“Canada and the United States agreed upon half of net profits being directed to the economic development fund for a period of 15 years, creating an incentive for both countries to make the bridge profitable,” she said, adding: “As the prime minister said, we expect these net profits to be a small portion of total bridge revenue.”A spokesman for the US Commerce Department, Benno Kass, said the US is “pleased to have reached an agreement with Canada on the Gordie Howe International Bridge that ensures the United States will participate in setting tolls and receive an equal share of net bridge revenues.”Neither country has published the text of the deal. Champoux said that “officials in both countries are working to finalize the specific legal and administrative details of this arrangement.” The Gordie Howe International Bridge viewed from downstream along the Detroit River, Oct. 25, 2025. Photo by Doug Schmidt/PostmediaThe bridge, which connects Detroit with the industrial heartland of the province of Ontario, became another flashpoint between the two countries after Lutnick intervened to stop a planned opening last month. Its development was years in the making. Yet to make it a reality, Canada agreed to finance it upfront.That original agreement — which was between Canada and the state of Michigan, and not the US government — spelled out that Canada would be allowed to recoup all of its costs, which was expected to take decades. After that, revenue would be split with Michigan, which shares ownership of the bridge with Canada.But Trump said in February that he was unhappy with those terms, and Lutnick stepped in to block a plan to hold an opening ceremony in June. Negotiations led to last week’s side deal.Carney told CTV that with current traffic estimates, “there’s not going to be a lot of net to split” and said “it’s a good deal for Canada.” People fish in the Detroit River in front of the Gordie Howe International Bridge in June 2026. Photo by Jeff Kowalsky /BloombergTrump himself claimed victory and confirmed that the bridge would open.“The new deal is great, and fair. Thank you and congratulations to the Canadian Government. May we both have many years of success with this wonderful new development,” he said in a social media post on Saturday.Part of the Canadian government’s reason for renegotiating the terms is that the Gordie Howe bridge, named for the Canadian-born hockey star who played for the Detroit Red Wings, is expected to smooth trade between the two nations.Currently, the major commercial bridge that connects Detroit with southern Ontario in the privately-owned Ambassador Bridge. The region is particularly important for the automotive industry, with large volumes of parts and vehicles moving back and forth.While trade flows between the US and Canada have been disrupted by Trump’s tariffs, they’ve hardly collapsed. The two nations exchanged about $880 billion of goods and services last year, down about 5% from 2024, according to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis. The Gordie Howe International Bridge seen from Windsor, Ont., on June 4, 2026. Photo by Dan Janisse/Windsor Star/PostmediaIn the short term, traffic on the new bridge may be lighter than originally envisioned, in part because many Canadians are boycotting US travel to protest the tariffs and Trump’s anti-Canadian rhetoric. On Tuesday, the president reposted a fake image showing himself in the Oval Office surrounded by other world leaders. In the image, there’s a map of North America to his left with the US stars and stripes imposed over Canada and Greenland.A local investment agency in the Windsor, Ontario, region has estimated that 400 commercial vehicles would use the bridge each hour. A four-axle commercial truck would pay a minimum of $27.60 to cross it.—With assistance from John Harney.Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here. 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