“American Ships should be allowed to travel, free of charge, through Panama; Suez Canals”_ Trump
US President Donald Trump has shared a post expressing his view that US vessels should be able to navigate through the Panama and Suez canals free of charge.
Trump said in a social media post on Saturday, “American Ships, both Military and Commercial, should be allowed to travel, free of charge, through the Panama and Suez Canals!” He added, “Those Canals would not exist without the United States of America.” He said he had asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to immediately take care of the matter.
Both canals serve as essential sea routes for global cargo transportation. The Panama Canal in Central America connects the Pacific and the Atlantic. The Suez Canal in the Middle East links the Mediterranean to the Red Sea.
The Trump administration has repeatedly insisted that the US will take back control of the Panama Canal, which he considers to be under China’s influence at the moment.
The US administration has proposed collecting fees at US ports on Chinese ships and others. This is part of the measures targeting China, along with tariffs.
US media outlet Bloomberg reported that the measures on Chinese commercial shipping and shipbuilding are aimed at reviving US shipbuilding by reversing China’s dominance.
