Text of new Gordie Howe bridge deal seems to contradict Carney

Exact wording of Canada-U.S. agreement has been subject of sharp scrutiny

The Canadian side of the Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Windsor, Ont., and Detroit is seen in drone footage captured in June 2026.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Jacob Barker

Emma Loop (new window) · CBC News

Carney has previously described operating costs as expenses such as maintenance, snow clearing, and toll booth staffing.

The new text does not define operating costs and does not mention Canada's debt.

The Trump administration has maintained the split happens before payments toward the principal and interest on the debt.

The text says Canada and the U.S. will reasonably agree on the objects of the economic development fund, which will be for the benefit of the United States and trade between Canada and the United States.

The agreement also says officials will develop and finalize the legal, financial and administrative arrangements necessary to implement this Agreement in Principle as expeditiously as possible. It's unclear whether that has happened yet.

The latest pact to open the bridge comes after months of uncertainty following a social media tirade by U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump in February threatened to block the bridge's opening unless Canada handed over concessions, despite Canada having funded the construction and surrounding infrastructure.

Trump's post followed millions of dollars in political donations (new window) and lobbying efforts in Washington by the owners of the nearby Ambassador Bridge, which is expected to lose significant toll revenue once the new crossing opens.

The Gordie Howe bridge was set to open last month, but was delayed at the request of the U.S. (new window), per Carney.

The new agreement to open the bridge — with the Trump administration's support — came on July 10.

Local dignitaries were invited to a ribbon-cutting event for this Friday ahead of Monday's scheduled opening to traffic, but Ottawa said Tuesday it would no longer participate in the celebration, citing the Trump administration's new tariffs on Canadian goods.

Canadian officials would instead celebrate the milestone among Canadians, per a statement.

Emma Loop is a video journalist at CBC Windsor. She previously spent eight years covering politics, national security, and business in Washington, D.C. Before that, she covered Canadian politics in Ottawa. She has worked at the Windsor Star, Ottawa Citizen, Axios, and BuzzFeed News, where she was a member of the FinCEN Files team that was named a finalist for the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting. She was born and raised in Essex County, Ont. You can reach her at emma.loop@cbc.ca.