U.S. President Donald Trump said on 26 April that American military and commercial ships should be allowed to travel through the Panama and Suez Canals free of charge.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump announced, “I’ve asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to immediately take care of, and memorialize, this situation.” The Panama Canal, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans by crossing the narrowest part of the Central American isthmus, is a critical global trade route, handling about 40% of U.S. container traffic annually.
Although the United States completed construction of the canal in the early 20th century, it transferred control of the strategically important waterway to Panama in 1999.
Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to “take back” the canal. Before assuming office in January, he told reporters he would not rule out using economic or military measures to regain control, Reuters reports.
