- Trump says the US will take back the Panama Canal claiming China is controlling it
- Panama’s president firmly rejects the claim saying there is no foreign interference
- The route is a vital trade route that links the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
Panama stands firm against Trump’s canal remarks
Panama’s president firmly rejected Donald Trump’s claim to “take back” the Panama Canal, emphasising that the vital trade route “is and will remain” under Panama’s control.
Trump, in his inaugural address, accused Panama of breaking neutrality promises and alleged Chinese control of the canal. Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino dismissed these statements, saying there’s no foreign interference in the canal’s administration.
The Panama Canal handles 40% of U.S. container ships, linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Trump criticised canal fees and claimed unfair treatment of U.S. ships, including naval vessels.
Trump claimed: “American ships are being severely overcharged and not treated fairly in any way, shape or form and that includes the United States Navy.
“And above all China is operating the Panama Canal and we didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back.”
Donald Trump
The U.S. built the canal in the early 1900s but transferred full control to Panama in 1999, following a 1977 treaty signed by President Jimmy Carter that agreed to gradually hand back control of the waterway. Trump has since called the handover “a big mistake.”
Panama maintains the canal’s neutrality, ensuring global accessibility for all nations.