US Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra denies that donations from the family that owns the Ambassador Bridge are behind delays in opening the new Gordie Howe Bridge.
“Absolutely not,” Hoekstra said when asked by Global News whether the delay was related to a $1 million donation from billionaire Matthew Moroun – whose family owns competing Ambassador Bridge – to Trump’s super PAC, MAGA Inc., in January.
“The bridge had not yet opened when it was announced several weeks ago by mutual agreement between the Canadian government and the US government,” he said. “It has nothing to do with the Morouns.”
A ribbon-cutting event planned last month was canceled at America’s request, according to Prime Minister Mark Carney, who said there were “technical aspects” being worked out between Canada and America.
The New York Times reported that Matthew Moroun met with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick hours before Trump announced in February that he could block the bridge from opening unless the US received “compensation.”
Campaign finance records reviewed by Global News show that members of the Moroun family also made 15 separate donations totaling more than $35,000 to Hoekstra during his final year in Congress, donations that Hoekstra said had nothing to do with the negotiations.
Get daily National news
Get Canada’s daily news stories delivered to your inbox so you never miss the day’s top stories.
“The Moroun family does significant business in the United States, and in the United States, companies involved in that kind of business donate to all kinds of campaigns,” Hoekstra said. “I know they donate to both the Republican and Democratic parties.”
A White House official told Global News last month that Trump’s position on the bridge “hasn’t changed,” despite efforts by Canadian government officials, including Carney.
The new Detroit-Windsor crossing remains closed even though Canada has paid the entire cost of the bridge and will share ownership with Michigan. Hoekstra believes that’s not enough.
“Americans contribute significantly more than half of the revenue that will be paid out, but Canada is financing this,” he said, adding that “the revenue is being paid for from revenues coming from Ambassador Bridges, which is a 100 percent American-owned company.”
Despite his complaints, Hoekstra remains optimistic about the bridge’s future. “We can reach an agreement on this bridge that is not tied to the larger CUSMA negotiations,” he said. “I am optimistic that we will open this bridge in the near future.”
There is no guarantee the CUSMA exemption will remain in place
Hoekstra’s optimism fades when it comes to ongoing trade negotiations and renewal of the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
“There may be some progress, but not significant progress that says, ‘OK, we know exactly where we’re going, now let’s fill in the details,’” Hoekstra said.
Canada has not yet held formal talks with the US, which has held several meetings with its Mexican counterpart.
Prime Minister Mark Carney routinely states that Canada has the best deal with the US because of tariff exemptions on free trade products – something the ambassador has not guaranteed will continue.
“I’m not in a position to guarantee anything. These decisions are made in the White House. They are made by the president,” Hoekstra said.
His comments came just days after the Trump administration refused to extend the trilateral agreement with Canada and Mexico for a period of 16 years, citing what the US called “shortfalls” and a “trade deficit.” Mexico and Canada have both openly pushed for reform.
US President Donald Trump stated last month that the US was “better off without” CUSMA, and he would even prefer it “be terminated.”
When asked by Global News, Hoekstra would not say whether the government was considering canceling the deal, which any party can do with six months’ formal notice.
“All options are on the table,” Hoekstra said. “[Termination] is clearly permitted in the agreement.”
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.