...
By Jason Lemon and Peter Aitken
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
President Donald Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Saturday that all U.S. ships should be granted free passage through the Panama and Suez canals.
Newsweek reached out the Panama Canal Authority and Suez Canal Authority by email outside of normal business hours on Saturday evening for comment.
Why It Matters
Before taking office in January to start his second term, Trump said the U.S. could take control of the Panama Canal and Greenland for "national security" purposes. He called former President Jimmy Carter's decision to give control of the canal to Panama "a big mistake...a very big mistake" that "cost us the equivalent of a trillion dollars," and Trump has vowed to "take it back" if necessary.
Read More on World
The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, offering a shortcut for cargo ships as well as reducing transit times and costs for vessels. Meanwhile, the Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea and accounts for 10 to 12 percent of global trade.
What To Know
"American Ships, both Military and Commercial, should be allowed to travel, free of charge, through the Panama and Suez Canals! Those Canals would not exist without the United States of America. I've asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to immediately take care of, and memorialize, this situation!" Trump wrote on Saturday.
Trump and his supporters have continued to criticize fees levied against ships to use the Panama Canal and alleged that China controls the waterway, a claim the Panamanian government has denied.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after a call with Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino in February said that the two nations had reached an agreement and Panama would waive fees for U.S. warships, but Mulino later denied such a deal existed.
Hegseth, at the time, reiterated the concerns about Chinese influence around the canal, particularly ports at either end currently controlled by a Hong Kong consortium that announced plans to sell its controlling stake to a group that includes U.S.-based BlackRock Inc.
...
What People Are Saying
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in February told reporters: "China-based companies continue to control critical infrastructure in the canal area. That gives China the potential to conduct surveillance activities across Panama. This makes Panama and the United States less secure, less prosperous, and less sovereign. And as President Donald Trump has pointed out, that situation is not acceptable."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio in an interview with Fox News in February: "I am very happy that after our visit – I think the same day I was there – Panama became the first country in Latin America, in the Western Hemisphere, to get out of the Belt and Road Initiative. And I think there'll be more news coming up soon with regards to Panama – all positive for America."
What Happens Next?
The Panama Canal Authority will likely issue a response to Trump's demand, and Rubio will provide an update after he pursues the issue as he has done consistently since taking his role in the administration.
Update, 4/26/25 at 6:40 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information, context and comment.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines