TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford publicly backed Prime Minister Mark Carney’s handling of the Gordie Howe International Bridge deal during a First Ministers’ press conference on Thursday.Ford praised the agreement as critical for Ontario’s economy, noting Michigan is the province’s top trading partner with more than $70 billion in two-way trade.“The Prime Minister did an excellent job getting this deal done, getting $300 billion of goods across the border to create more opportunities, more jobs,” Ford said. “It’s critical for the auto sector. It’s critical for auto parts manufacturers, and it’s critical for all manufacturers that this bridge gets open.”Carney earlier pointed to the scale of the corridor, saying Ford “knows every dime” of the $300 billion in annual land-border trade between Michigan and Ontario..The comments came amid questions about whether Carney had accurately described the revenue-sharing arrangement with the United States. Critics like Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre have noted that Carney previously stated toll revenue would only be shared after the bridge’s debt was repaid, while the published agreement allows for net revenue sharing after operating costs, excluding full debt repayment.Ontario’s auto and manufacturing sectors remain heavily exposed to cross-border trade disruptions, making the bridge a high-stakes issue for the province as tariff negotiations with Washington continue.
