Trump Demands Free Use Of Suez And Panama Canals

“American Ships, both Military and Commercial, should be allowed to travel, free of charge, through the Panama and Suez Canals! Those Canals would not exist without the United States of America. I’ve asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to immediately take care of, and memorialize, this situation!” – Trump, posting to Truth  Social.

The Guardian reports:

The Panamanian president, Jose Raul Mulino, without directly referencing Trump said on Saturday that toll fees were regulated by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), an autonomous governing body that oversees the trade route. “There is no agreement to the contrary.”

The US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, said during a visit to Panama City this month that the US was seeking an agreement under which its warships could pass through the canal “first, and free”. He also floated the idea of US troops returning to Panama to “secure” its strategically vital canal, an idea that was quickly slapped down by Panama’s government. The US and China are two of the top users of the canal.

Egypt’s Suez canal, a key waterway linking Europe and Asia, accounted for about 10% of global maritime trade before attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on shipping routes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

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