Craig Rinzema/Shutterstock & undefined & Kevin Dietsch/Getty On Friday, 1 p.m. Eastern Time, the decade-long anticipated project for both Canada and the US was supposed to be treated to its official ribbon-cutting ceremony, creating another critical opening to one of the busiest trade crossings in the country. But that's all on pause now, because President Trump said so, or as both U.S. and Canadian officials say is to "resolve differences" discuss "technical issues" or any other roundabout way to say "because Trump has said so." If you're already sick of reading about it, we're almost sick of writing about this ridiculousness too. But here we are again, as Automotive News reported this morning that the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge is delayed as the two countries "negotiate differences." Chuck Andary, Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority's interim CEO and chief legal officer, said that the US and Canada have "agreed to delay the opening of the bridge, taking the necessary time to resolve any outstanding issues." The issues at this point are coming from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who "pushed back on the opening," according to an AP report, but as always the buck stops with President Trump. It's not clear what point Trump is most frustrated by in the bridge deal, which he lauded during his first term, but we can guess. It could be that U.S. itself has no ownership of the bridge, nor will it be making money off of the bridge directly. Or it might just be that Trump has a sour taste in his ego-hungry mouth since Canada was one of only two nations (China being the other) to actually stand up to Trump's bullying tactics. It might be because the Billionaire oligarch who privately owns of the Ambassador Bridge, the sole span responsible for $300 million in trade every day between Canada and the U.S., visited Trump and got in his ear about the rival bridge while donating $1 million to a Trump Super PAC. Spin the wheel to pick why Trump's upset Pont International Gordie Howe International Bridge The 1.5 mile long bridge, which started construction in 2018, would help open up flow of trade crossings, which accounts for $100 billion in trade annually or about $300 million a day between the US and Canada. That's been held up by the poorly kept and quickly aging Ambassador Bridge. Canada proposed to foot the $6.4 billion bill to build the Gordie Howe Bridge, with plans to earn that money back via tolls taken on its side of the bridge. The State of Michigan agreed, and worked out the use of state-side unionized workers to build their half of the bridge and the border "entrance." Trump's problem is the U.S. government doesn't own the bridge, nor will it make money from it directly. Trump is convinced there could have better a better deal. But what's a better deal than having something that would make a business country money that you didn't have to pay for? Canada is one of two governments so far to stand up to Trump and his proposed policies, calling him out on his unfair and nearly unethical approach to strong-arming nations to give in to his outright insane demands. And if there's one thing we know about Trump, he does not like when people stand up to him, and doesn't get his way. Trump posted on his Truth Social account in February that the bridge would not open until Canada had "...fully compensated for everything we have given them." Coincidentally, this was also around the time that Matthew Moroun made his donation to MAGA Inc. The Morouns have fought like hell for the last two decades to keep this new span from opening up, and the timing of the donation does call into question Trump's about-face on his earlier support for the bridge. Trump v. Canada Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images It's really no wonder why the bridge's opening date was kept fairly quiet until last minute. Now the bridge is stuck in a holding pattern, much like Canada and the U.S.'s trade talks, which will make for awkward energy as both Canadian Prime Minster Mark Carney and Trump are due in France next week for Group 7 talks. Last year, as the AP reported, meetings were overshadowed by discussions surrounding Trump's trade policies, and taunts towards our northern neighbor, like turning it into the US's 51st state. Rubio said then that tariffs were "not meant to be a 'hostile move' against allies but are about making trade fair." But as we've learned the results hurt trade, at the cost of billions for Americans and U.S.-based companies. Further delay in opening the Gordie Howe Bridge is set to cost American taxpayers millions more, around $7 million a week according to a recent economic analysis. And yet, Carney seems fairly chill about the whole thing, but maybe he's putting on a brave face because he's about to be confined to a room with Trump. Wednesday, Carney said to reporters, "Look, everyone's working hard to make sure the bridge is open as soon as possible. There is no big drama. If it takes a little longer it will take a little bit longer, but this will benefit Canadians, Americans, business, tourists, residents for decades and decades to come." I wouldn't recommend holding your breath while waiting for that to happen.