US President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to demand control of the Panama Canal after accusing Panama of charging exorbitant prices for US ships passing through one of the world’s busiest waterways.
“Our navy and commerce have been treated very unfairly and unfairly. The fees charged by Panama are ridiculous,” Trump posted on his Truth social platform on Saturday.
“This complete ‘cheap’ of our country must stop immediately.”
The United States largely built the canal in 1914 and managed the area around the passage for decades. But Washington ceded full control of the canal to Panama in 1999 after a period of joint administration.
Trump also hinted at China’s growing influence around the Atlantic-Pacific Canal.
“It was just to take over Panama, not China or anyone else,” he said. “We will not and never will let this fall into the wrong hands!”
The post was an extremely rare example of a US leader pressuring a sovereign country to cede territory.
“It was not given for the benefit of others, but merely as a sign of cooperation with us and Panama. If the ethical and legal principles of this grand act of giving are not followed, then we demand would that the Panama Canal be returned to us in full and without question.
It also marks an expected shift in US diplomacy under Trump, who has historically not shied away from threatening allies and using rhetoric when dealing with adversaries.
Last month, Trump said he would impose tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada on the first day of his administration and that the measures would remain in place until the undocumented immigrants and drug “attack” ends.
“Both Mexico and Canada have the full right and power to simply resolve this long-simmering issue. We hereby demand that they exercise that power, and until they do, their So it’s time to pay the big price!” he posted on his social platform.
Panamanian officials did not immediately respond to Trump’s post.
An estimated 5 percent of global maritime traffic passes through the Panama Canal, which allows ships traveling between Asia and the US East Coast to avoid the long, dangerous passage around the southern tip of South America.
The Panama Canal Authority reported in October that the waterway brought in record revenues of nearly $5 billion last fiscal year.