President Donald Trump has demanded that American military and commercial ships can travel through the channels of Panama and Suez without charge on Sunday, April 27.
In a publication recently about Truth Social, Trump instructed the Secretary of State for Marco Rubio to address this “immediate” problem. He stressed that both channels are vital for maritime interests in the United States, stating that “they would not exist” without US contributions.
The Panama Canal, which the United States completed at the beginning of the 20th century and delivered to Panama in 1999, plays a crucial role in global trade, facilitating approximately 40 percent of US container traffic every year.
Repeated Trump calls to claim control over the channel underline the approach of their administration in the US domain on strategic river paths.
In addition to the Panama Canal, Trump’s statements have now extended to the Suez Canal, a critical route for global maritime trade that has faced interruptions due to recent conflicts and attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
These attacks have forced ships to Reds, significantly impacting trade and revenues for Egypt, which reported a 60 percent drop of the internship in channel income in 2024.
While Trump insists on free transit for US ships, the Panamanian government, represented by President José Raul Mulino, declared that toll rates are regulated by the authority of the Panama Canal, an independent body that the excess of operations.
In addition, recently US military actions against Houthi’s positions in the region have tried, with the Trump administration committing to the ongoing military efforts until the shipping routes are safe.
