Trump slams Panama Canal fees, threatens to take back control to US

Incoming US President Donald Trump has fiercely criticised what he deems "unfair" fees imposed on US ships passing through the Panama Canal, and has threatened to demand that control of the vital waterway be returned to the United States.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated, "Our Navy and Commerce have been treated in a very unfair and injudicious way. The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous. This complete 'rip-off' of our Country will immediately stop," Caliber.Az reports via American media.

Trump also expressed alarm over China's presence near the canal, emphasising, "It was solely for Panama to manage, not China, or anyone else. We would and will NEVER let it fall into the wrong hands!"

The President-elect indicated that should Panama fail to ensure the "secure, efficient and reliable operation" of the canal, the US would take drastic measures. "If Panama cannot ensure this, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, and without question," he warned.

Despite Trump’s post, authorities in Panama have not yet responded.

Trump, who has not officially taken office yet, has been vocal in the final days of President Joe Biden's administration, asserting his position as a businessman capable of advocating for US commercial interests.

Notably, the Panama Canal, which is owned and operated by Panama, was completed by the United States in 1914 but was handed over to the Central American nation following a 1977 agreement under Democratic President Jimmy Carter. Full control passed to Panama in 1999.

However, Trump has raised concerns over the growing influence of China around the canal, a development he believes threatens US interests, especially given the significant reliance of US businesses on the passage to move goods between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

The Panama Canal is a key global shipping route, with approximately five percent of worldwide maritime traffic passing through it. The main users of the passage include the United States, China, Japan, and South Korea.

In October, the Panama Canal Authority reported that it had earned record revenues of nearly $5 billion in the last fiscal year.

By Khagan Isayev