Donald Trump has called for free transportation for American commercial and military vessels through the Panama and the Suez Canal, leaving his Secretary of State with “quickly” progress.
Trump has been asking the US to control the Panama Canal for months, but his social media posts also focused on the key Suez route. “Both military and commercial American ships should be allowed to travel free of charge through Panama and the Suez Canal!” Trump posted on Saturday.
He claimed that both routes “do not exist” without the United States and said he asked his Secretary of State Marco Rubio to “take care of” the situation immediately.
Panama President Jose Raul Murino said on Saturday that tolls are regulated by the Panama Canal Bureau (ACP), an autonomous governing body that oversees trade routes. “There is no opposition.”
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses said during a visit to Panama City this month that the US wanted an agreement that allowed warships to “have first and free” the canal. He also came to the idea that the US troops had returned to Panama to “security” a strategically important canal, an idea that was quickly slapped by the Panama government.
The US and China are two of the top users of the canal.
Egypt’s Suez Canal, the main waterway connecting Europe and Asia, accounted for around 10% of the world’s maritime trade before attacks by the Houthi rebels in Yemen on shipping routes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Iran-backed rebels began targeting the ships after asserting solidarity with the Palestinians after the start of the Israeli-Gaza War. The ship was forced to take a long, costly detour to the southern tip of Africa.
Egypt said in 2024 that the canal revenue was 60%, a loss of $7 billion.
The US military has been attacking Houthi’s position since January 2024, and these attacks have intensified under Trump, with almost daily strikes over the past month. Trump said military action would continue until Houthis is not a threat to transport.
