by Gram Slattery
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) – President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to reassert U.S. control over the Panama Canal, accusing Panama of charging excessive tariffs to use the Central American passage that allows ships to cross the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
In a post on Truth Social on Saturday evening, Trump also warned against letting the canal fall into the “wrong hands” and appeared to warn of potential Chinese influence over the crossing, writing that the canal should not be run by China. .
China does not control or operate the channel. However, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings has long operated two ports located at the entrances to the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Channel.
The post was a very rare example of a US leader saying he could push a sovereign country to cede territory. It also underscores an expected shift in U.S. diplomacy under Trump, who has historically not shied away from threatening allies and using combative rhetoric in dealing with colleagues.
“The taxes imposed by Panama are ridiculous, especially given the extraordinary generosity shown to Panama by the US,” Trump wrote in his Truth Social post.
“It is not issued for the benefit of others, but only as a sign of cooperation with us and Panama.” If the principles, moral and legal, of this generous gesture are not respected, then we will demand the Panama Canal. to return to us completely and without question,” he wrote.
The Panamanian embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.
However, several Panamanian politicians took to social media to criticize Trump’s statements and asked the government to protect the canal.
“The government has an obligation to protect our autonomy as an independent country,” said Grace Hernandez, an MP from the opposition party MOCA on X. “Diplomacy requires strong statements.”
The United States largely built the canal and controlled the area surrounding the passage for decades. But the United States and Panama signed a pair of agreements in 1977 that paved the way for full control of the canal. The United States transferred control of the canal in 1999 after a period of joint administration.
The waterway, which allows up to 14,000 ships a year to cross, accounts for 2.5% of global maritime trade and is critical for US imports of vehicles and commercial goods from Asia via container ships and US exports of goods, including liquid .
It’s unclear how Trump will try to regain control of the channel, and he would have no right under international law if he decided to make a play for the passage.
This is not the first time Trump has openly discussed territorial expansion.
In recent weeks, he has repeatedly considered making Canada a US state, although it is unclear how serious he is about the matter. In 2017-2021, Trump expressed interest in purchasing Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark. He was publicly responded to by the Danish authorities before he could say anything.