New Detroit-Windsor bridge critical to Canadian manufacturing, CME says

Ottawa and Michigan have reached a deal for the construction of a second bridge between Detroit and Windsor, a popular trade route between the world’s two most integrated economies. That deal is critical to boost Canadian manufacturing, according to the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME).

 Latest reports say cabinet is expected to approve the agreement this week, followed by a formal announcement that will push it forward to becoming an official trade conduit.

The bridge will provide unimpeded highway-to-interstate access between Ontario and Michigan in modern infrastructure that supports modern trade and integrated industry, the VP of national policy for CME, Mathew Wilson, said in a statement.

“To put it in perspective, more automotive trade happens in two weeks today between Canada and the U.S. than occurred in an entire year when the Ambassador Bridge was originally built in 1929,” he said. “For Canada and U.S. integrated industry, a new crossing is critical for long-term economic competitiveness and job creation.”

CME continues to call on the Canadian federal government to ensure the bridge’s construction as soon as possible. A new crossing has been consulted on, analyzed and discussed for decades – Canada and the U.S. must move forward now and build this important piece of infrastructure, CME says.

Roughly one-quarter of all Canada-U.S. trade currently flows across the Ambassador Bridge. Given the bridge is nearly 100 years old and is placed in the middle of two cities, it creates bottlenecks that increase the costs to manufacturers and undermines the competitiveness of integrated industries, according to the CME.