Truckers protest: US presses Canada to use federal powers to ease disruption at border trade route

The Biden administration is mainly focused on ending the blockage at the Ambassador Bridge, which connects Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, as well as at other ports of entry, the official said. The bridge is one of North America`s busiest border crossings and a supply route for Detroit`s carmakers.

Washington: The Biden administration on Thursday urged Canada to use federal powers to ease the disruption at the US-Canada border caused by a protest against anti-coronavirus mandates that has blocked a vital US-Canada trade route, a White House official said. "(US Homeland Security) Secretary (Alejandro) Mayorkas and (Transportation Secretary Pete) Buttigieg each spoke with their Canadian counterparts, urging them to use Federal powers to resolve this situation at our joint border," the official said in a statement.

The Biden administration is mainly focused on ending the blockage at the Ambassador Bridge, which connects Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, as well as at other ports of entry, the official said. The bridge is one of North America`s busiest border crossings and a supply route for Detroit`s carmakers.

Canadian truckers started the protests as a "Freedom Convoy" occupying the capital Ottawa in opposition to a vaccinate-or-quarantine mandate for cross-border drivers mirrored by the U.S. government. They began blocking the Ambassador Bridge on Monday and have since shut two smaller border crossings.