U. S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra is rejecting the idea that donations from the family owning the Ambassador Bridge caused the delay in opening the new Gordie Howe Bridge.
“Absolutely not,” Hoekstra stated when questioned by if the delay was linked to a US$1-million donation made by billionaire Matthew Moroun – whose family runs the rival Ambassador Bridge – to Trump’s super PAC, MAGA Inc., earlier this year.
“The bridge was not opened when it was announced a couple of weeks ago by mutual agreement of the Canadian government and the U. S. government,” he clarified. “It has nothing to do with the Morouns.”
A planned ribbon-cutting ceremony last month was called off at the request of American officials, according to Prime Minister Mark Carney, who mentioned that there were “technical aspects” being worked out between Canada and the U. S.
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The New York Times noted that Matthew Moroun had a meeting with U. S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick just hours before Trump tweeted in February about potentially blocking the bridge’s opening unless there was “compensation” from the U. S.
Records on campaign financing reviewed by reveal that members of the Moroun family also made 15 separate contributions totaling over US$35,000 to Hoekstra during his last year in Congress, but Hoekstra insisted these donations had no impact on discussions.
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Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you’ll never miss the day’s top stories. “The Morouns run a major business in America, and typically companies involved in such businesses donate to various political campaigns,” Hoekstra explained. “I know they give money to both Republicans and Democrats.” A White House official informed last month that Trump’s stance on the bridge “has not changed,” despite efforts from Canadian officials, including Carney. The new crossing between Detroit and Windsor remains shut down even though Canada has covered all expenses for building it and will co-own it with Michigan. Hoekstra believes that’s not enough. “Americans are providing significantly more than half of the revenue that will repay however Canada financed this,” he said, adding it’s being “funded through revenue generated by the Ambassador Bridge, which is fully owned by Americans.” Despite his concerns, Hoekstra is optimistic about what lies ahead for this bridge. “We can reach an agreement on this bridge that isn’t connected to larger CUSMA negotiations,” he said. “I’m hopeful we’ll open this bridge fairly soon.” Story continues belowNo guarantee CUSMA exemptions will remain
More on Politics More videos Hoekstra’s optimism dwindles when discussing ongoing trade talks and renewing the Canada-U. S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). “There may have been some progress, but not enough progress that says ‘OK, we know exactly where we’re going now let’s sort out details,’” Hoekstra remarked. The Canadian side hasn’t yet initiated formal negotiations with Washington, which has already engaged multiple times with Mexico. Prime Minister Mark Carney often highlights Canada’s favorable deal with America due to tariff exemptions on free trade products – something Hoekstra won’t assure will continue. “I’m not able to guarantee anything. Those decisions come from inside the White House. They’re decided by the president,” Hoekstra stated. This comes shortly after Trump’s administration chose not to extend CUSMA for another 16 years because of what they termed “shortcomings” and “trade deficits.” Both Mexico and Canada openly advocated for a renewal. POTUS Donald Trump suggested last month that America might be “better without” CUSMA and even hinted at wanting it “terminated.” <p When asked by if ripping up CUSMA was under consideration, Hoekstra didn’t provide a clear answer as any party could initiate termination with six months’ notice.Source link
