US-Canada bridge blockade risks huge economic damage, governments warn

David Adams, president of auto industry group Global Automakers of Canada, told the Guardian that between 5,000 and 7,000 trucks use the Ambassador Bridge daily to deliver automotive parts. The bridge is responsible for 27% of all Canada-US trade.

Business associations warned that manufacturers in the region risk losing $50m a day because of delays.

He said that the blockade could ultimately lead to the shutdown of automotive parts manufacturers on both sides of the border.

Between 50 and 75 vehicles and 100 individuals were involved in the blockade, the Windsor police chief, Pam Mizuno, said on Wednesday.

Police have repeatedly been accused of turning a blind eye to brazen infractions of the law as protests proliferate across the country.

The protest movement was initially spurred by a federal vaccine mandate for truck drivers crossing the Canada-US border, but has evolved into a mixture of anti-vaccination, anti-mandate and anti-government complaints.

In Ottawa, 23 arrests have been made and hundreds of tickets have been issued by local police. But the downtown area remains paralysed by rows of trucks and other vehicles, some of which are parked directly in front of the Canadian parliament.

Police say a considerable amount of financial support is coming from the US, which has enabled protesters to stay in place.

But on online protester channels, calls were made to block additional border crossings between Canada and the US, further threatening a trade relationship valued at more than US$700bn.