Getty ImagesPresident-elect Donald Trump accuses the Central American nation of charging “exorbitant prices” for U.S. ships and naval vessels and urges Panama to lower fees for the Panama Canal or return it to U.S. control. he demanded.
“The fees that Panama is charging are ridiculous and extremely unfair,” he told supporters gathered in Arizona on Sunday.
“This complete rip-off of our country will stop immediately,” he said, referring to his inauguration next month.
Panama’s president immediately rebuked the statement, saying that “every square meter” of the canal and surrounding area belonged to the Panamanian state.
President José Raul Mulino added that Panama’s sovereignty and independence are non-negotiable.
President Trump made the comment to supporters of Turning Point USA, a conservative activist group that has provided significant support to his 2024 campaign.
It was a rare example of a U.S. leader saying he could push a country to hand over territory, but he did not explain how, and it became part of U.S. foreign policy after he entered the White House. It showed how diplomacy can change. The inauguration ceremony will be held on January 20th.
President Trump’s comments followed a similar post from the previous day in which he said the Panama Canal is a “vital national asset” for the United States.
President Trump said Sunday that if shipping rates are not lowered, “we will demand the full return of the Panama Canal, immediately and without question.”
The 82 km (51 mi) long Panama Canal cuts through Central America and serves as the main link between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Up to 14,000 vessels pass through it each year, including container ships and military vessels carrying cars, natural gas, and other goods.
Built in the early 1900s. The United States maintained control of the Canal Zone until 1977, when treaties gradually returned the land to Panama. Panama gained sole rule in 1999 after a period of joint rule.
The United States reserved the right to use military force to defend the canal against any threat to its neutrality, but that threat now appears to come from the United States itself.
The Neutrality Treaty guarantees fair access and non-discriminatory tolls to all countries. The amount you pay to transit the canal varies depending on the shipping company. However, this depends on the size and payload of the ship and depends on the country of origin.
Canal shipping costs have risen over the past year as a result of the historic drought, according to an analysis by leading shipping industry website Lloyd’s List.
About 75% of the cargo that passed through the waterway in the recent fiscal year was bound for or originated in the United States, according to the Panama Canal Authority.
However, the users of the canal are ship operators and owners, not the countries themselves.
President Trump brings up his usual theme
In addition to Panama, the president-elect also attacked Canada and Mexico for what he called unfair trade practices. He called Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum a “wonderful woman” but accused her of allowing drugs and immigrants into the United States.
President Trump spoke in front of a crowd of several thousand people at Turning Point, the nation’s largest annual conference for conservative activists.
Turning Point poured significant resources into turnout efforts in battleground states aimed at supporting Mr. Trump and other Republicans during the election.
It was his first speech since Congress passed a deal this week that kept the U.S. government open after several provisions were removed, including one that raised the nation’s debt ceiling.
Mr. Trump supported raising the debt ceiling, which limits how much the U.S. government can borrow.
But Sunday’s speech avoided that issue entirely, instead summarizing his election victories and touching on themes that were mainstays of his campaign, including immigration, crime and foreign trade.
However, he did mention Elon Musk.
“You know, they’re starting a new initiative,” he said. “There are all kinds of false rumors. The new false rumor is that President Trump has handed over the presidency to Elon Musk.”
“No, no, that’s not happening,” he said. “He’s not going to be president.”
Although several speakers at the conference criticized government spending and politicians of both parties, the divisions within the Republican Party that have been playing out in Congress in recent days were largely silent.
