President-elect Donald Trump has criticised the tariffs imposed on American ships using the Panama Canal, hinting at a potential bid to restore US control over the waterway. Speaking in Arizona on Friday, Trump described the charges as “unfair” and declared that the “plunder of the country will stop immediately.”
The remarks follow a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, where he called the canal a “vital national asset” and labelled the 1977 agreement transferring control to Panama as a “foolish act.” The US relinquished authority over the canal at the end of 1999, following the terms of the Carter-Torrijos Treaty.
In response, Panamanian President José Raúl Molina rejected Trump’s comments, asserting that the canal and its surrounding territory are under Panama’s exclusive sovereignty. “The tariffs are determined by market conditions and servicing costs,” Molina said, adding that the canal is not controlled by any foreign power, including China or the US
On Truth Social, Trump appeared to escalate tensions by sharing an image of the canal adorned with a US flag and the caption – “Welcome to the US Canal.”
The Panama Canal, which opened in 1914, connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and remains a crucial global trade route. Panama has overseen its operations since 2000, a move hailed as a step towards national sovereignty but now subject to renewed controversy.
