Trump Threatens to Reclaim Panama Canal Over 'Exorbitant Fees' and Chinese Influence

Dec 22, 2024, 11:58 AM

President-elect Donald Trump has announced that he may demand the return of the Panama Canal to the United States due to what he describes as "exorbitant fees" and "ridiculous tariffs" imposed on U.S. naval and merchant ships. Labeling the current charges a "complete rip-off," Trump criticized the 1977 treaty that transferred control of the canal to Panama as a mistake and referred to the canal as a "vital asset" for the U.S. He expressed concerns about growing Chinese influence over the strategic waterway and warned against letting it "fall into the wrong hands." Trump suggested that if conditions do not improve, the U.S. might retake control of the canal, invoking principles similar to the Monroe Doctrine.