President-elect Trump Threatens to Reclaim Panama Canal Over "Exorbitant" Fees

Dec 22, 2024, 07:30 AM

President-elect Donald Trump has indicated that he may demand the return of the Panama Canal to the United States, citing "exorbitant prices and rates of passage" imposed on U.S. naval and merchant ships by Panama. He criticized the fees as a "complete rip-off" and warned that if Panama does not lower them, the U.S. should reclaim control of the strategic waterway. Trump also expressed concern that the canal could fall into "wrong hands," alluding to potential foreign control, and criticized the 1977 treaty under which President Jimmy Carter agreed to transfer control of the canal to Panama.