Gizem Nisa Cebi
22 December 2024•Update: 23 December 2024
ISTANBUL
US President-elect Donald Trump raised concerns Saturday about "ridiculous" tolls for US ships passing through the Panama Canal.
He threatened to demand the canal’s return to American control if Panama failed to address the issue.
Trump described the Panama Canal as a vital national asset for the US in a post on Truth Social, emphasizing its crucial role in commerce and national security.
"Our Navy and Commerce have been treated in a very unfair and injudicious way. The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous," he wrote. "This complete 'rip-off' of our Country will immediately stop."
He criticized the 1977 Panama Canal Treaty, signed by President Jimmy Carter, which transferred control of the canal to Panama by 1999.
"It was solely for Panama to manage, not China, or anyone else," Trump said and warned about foreign influence, particularly from China. "We would and will NEVER let it fall into the wrong hands!"
Vital route for US trade, military
Trump also suggested that if Panama could not ensure the canal's secure and efficient operation, the US would demand its return, "in full, and without question."
The canal, which handles about 5% of global maritime traffic, is a vital route for US trade and military deployment.
Trump's comments came despite Panama's robust control of the waterway, which had earned nearly $5 billion in toll revenues in the last fiscal year.
The canal remains a key passage for goods between the US and Asia, serving nations like China, Japan and South Korea.
