ꦓDonald Trump warned that Panama’s handling of the canal was potentially opening the door to growing Chinese influence in the region.
ꦏPresident-elect Donald Trump has launched a fierce critique of the Panama Canal, accusing Panama of charging “ridiculous” fees for US ships passing through the vital waterway. In a post on his Truth Social platform Saturday, Trump threatened to demand the canal be returned to US control if Panama fails to ensure its operation is fair and secure.
🅷Trump, who will formally assume office next month, expressed his concerns over what he described as unfair practices, particularly regarding the financial burden placed on American maritime interests.
🐭“The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous,” Trump wrote. “This complete ‘rip-off’ of our Country will immediately stop.”
𝄹He also warned that Panama’s handling of the canal was potentially opening the door to growing Chinese influence in the region, a development he sees as a threat to US national and economic interests. Trump emphasized that the canal should not be managed by China or any other foreign power, suggesting that US control may be necessary to prevent such an outcome. “It was solely for Panama to manage, not China, or anyone else,” he stated.
🐬The Panama Canal, a crucial maritime route for global trade, connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and serves as a vital shortcut for ships, particularly those traveling between Asia and the US East Coast. An estimated 5 percent of global maritime traffic transits through the canal. The waterway, completed by the US in 1914, was fully handed over to Panama in 1999 under an agreement with the US government, following years of joint administration.
ꦅKnown for his bellicose rhetoric and often unconventional approach to international relations, Trump has shown a willingness to challenge even close allies when he feels US interests are at stake.
🍌In his Truth Social post, Trump highlighted the historical generosity of the US in building the canal and later transferring control to Panama. “It was not given for the benefit of others, but merely as a token of cooperation with us and Panama,” he wrote. “If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, and without question.”
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The Panama Canal Authority reported record revenues of nearly $5 billion in the last fiscal year, AFP♉ reported. However, the canal’s financial success underscores its importance to global trade and the United States, which remains one of its primary users alongside China, Japan, and South Korea.
🦂In the coming weeks, as President Biden’s administration winds down, Trump’s calls for a more assertive US foreign policy are expected to intensify, with a focus on securing American economic interests and confronting perceived foreign encroachments on US power.