Trump: "Panama Canal tolls are a rip-off for the US... May demand ownership return"

Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, issued a warning on the 21st (local time) that he may demand the return of ownership of the Panama Canal from the Panamanian government.

President-elect Donald Trump. Photo by Yonhap News

On the same day, Trump posted on the social networking service (SNS) Truth Social that "the Panama Canal plays a crucial role in the U.S. economy and national security, and is considered an important national asset for the United States."

He added, "Panama is imposing excessive canal tolls on the U.S. Navy and businesses," and stated, "This complete extortion must end immediately."

Trump wrote, "The Panama Canal was not provided for the benefit of other countries but was given merely as a symbol of cooperation between us and Panama," and "We will never allow it to fall into the hands of bad actors."

He emphasized, "If the moral and legal principles of this generous gesture are not upheld, we will definitely demand the full return of the Panama Canal."

The Panama Canal, which connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and is 82 km long, was completed in 1914 under U.S. leadership, and ownership was transferred to Panama in 1999.

Trump's sudden warning is analyzed to be both a move to seek toll reductions and a strategy to counter China, which is expanding its influence in infrastructure in the Latin American region. In particular, it appears to be a preemptive warning to the Panamanian government not to cooperate with China regarding canal operations and related matters.