Trump urges 'free' transit for U.S. ships through Panama, Suez canals
The Hindu
President Trump urges free transit for American ships through Panama and Suez canals, emphasizing U.S. control and security concerns.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday (April 26, 2025) urged free transit for American commercial and military ships through the Panama and Suez canals, tasking his secretary of state with making progress "immediately."
Mr. Trump has for months been calling for the United States to take control of the Panama Canal but his social media post also shifted focus onto the vital Suez route.
"American Ships, both Military and Commercial, should be allowed to travel, free of charge, through the Panama and Suez Canals!" he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
He claimed both routes would "not exist" without the United States and said he had asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to "immediately take care of" the situation.
Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino, without directly referencing to Mr. Trump, said on Saturday (April 26, 2025) that toll fees for the Panama Canal are regulated by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), an autonomous governing body that oversees the trade route.
"There is no agreement to the contrary," he said in a post on X.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had said during a visit to Panama City earlier this month that the United States was seeking an agreement under which its warships could pass through the canal "first, and free."
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