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Trump threatens to take back control of the Panama Canal
“Sunday Morning Futures” host Maria Bartiromo joins “Fox & Friends Weekend” to discuss Trump’s threat to take control of the Panama Canal as the president-elect continues to push his “America First” vision ” on the world stage.
Panama’s president has responded to President-elect Trump’s idea that his new administration might try to regain control of the Panama Canal.
After Trump said Sunday that the United States “stupidly gave it away” and is now “getting ripped off” on the waterway, Panama’s conservative president, José Raúl Mulino, released a video saying that “every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to do so.” belong” to their country.
Without mentioning Trump by name, Mulino addressed Trump’s complaints about increased fees for ships crossing the canal, saying they are set by experts who take into account operating costs and supply and demand factors .
“Rates are not set on a whim,” Mulino said. He noted that Panama has expanded the canal over the years to increase ship traffic “on its own initiative,” adding that increases in shipping fees help pay for the improvements.
TRUMP FLOATS THE IDEA OF US RECOVERING THE PANAMA CANAL: ‘HE DID IT FOOLISHLY’
President-elect Donald Trump speaks at AmericaFest, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scooteri)
“Panamanians can have different opinions on many issues,” Mulino said. “But when it comes to our channel and our sovereignty, we will all unite under our Panamanian flag.”
Trump then took to his social media site to reply: “We’ll see!” He also posted a picture of an American flag planted in the channel area under the phrase: “Welcome to the USA channel!”
FETTERMAN: THOSE WHO EXPECT TRUMP TO MAKE IT EASY ARE ‘ROOTING AGAINST THE NATION’
A cargo ship passes through the Agua Clara locks of the Panama Canal in Colon, Panama on September 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, file)
Trump had previously addressed the channel in a Saturday Truth Social post, where he complained at length about the fees being imposed on American ships passing through. the Great Pit Panama Canal tolls can range from three to six figures, depending on the size of a ship and the cargo it’s carrying, with larger ships charging up to $500,000.
Opening of the doors of the Panama Canal. (Danuta Hamlin)
The United States built the canal in the early 1900s as it sought ways to facilitate the passage of commercial and military ships between its shores. Washington relinquished control of the waterway to Panama on December 31, 1999, under a treaty signed in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter.
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The canal depends on the reservoirs to operate its locks and was badly affected in 2023 Central American drought that forced him to substantially reduce the number of daily slots for ships to cross. With fewer ships using the canal each day, administrators also increased the fees all shippers are charged to reserve a slot.
With the normalization of the weather in the last few months of this year, traffic on the canal has normalized, but price increases are still expected for next year.
Andrea Margolis of Fox News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
