Panama Canal

January 8, 2025 9:30 AM

Trump will not rule out force to take Panama Canal, Greenland

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump refused on Tuesday to rule out using military or economic action to pursue acquisition of the Panama Canal and Greenland, part of a broader expansionist agenda he has promoted since winning the Nov. 5 election. Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, also floated the idea of turning Canada into a U.S. state, said he would demand far higher defense spending from NATO allies and promised to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Still two week...

December 30, 2024 11:36 AM

Trump wants control over Panama Canal to counter China threat

After threatening China, Canada and Mexico with tariffs, Donald Trump wants the U.S. to take back control of the Panama Canal. As if on cue, Trump's son, Eric, posts an image on X that shows the U.S. adding Greenland, the Panama Canal and Canada to an Amazon online shopping cart. Trump is known to make off the cuff remarks but this was a well-calculated attempt to test the waters with Panama and at the same time put China on notice. The Panama Canal is an 82-kilometre-long waterway in the Centr...

December 26, 2024 9:08 PM

What is the Panama Canal and why has Trump threatened to take it over?

Latin American leaders on Monday rallied to Panama's defense after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump threatened to reimpose U.S. control over the Panama Canal, a key global shipping route located in the Central American nation. WHAT IS THE PANAMA CANAL? The Panama Canal is an 82-km (51-mile) artificial waterway that connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans through Panama, saving ships thousands of miles and weeks of travel around the stormy, icy southern tip of South America. The journey for ...

December 23, 2024 11:25 AM

Trump threatens to retake control of Panama Canal

President-elect Donald Trump threatened to reassert U.S. control over the Panama Canal on Sunday, accusing Panama of charging excessive rates to use the Central American passage and drawing a sharp rebuke from Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino. Speaking to a crowd of supporters in Arizona, Trump also said he would not let the canal fall into the "wrong hands," warning of potential Chinese influence on the passage. After the event, he posted an image on Truth Social of an American flag fl...

May 1, 2024 11:26 AM

El Nino, water management issues blamed for snarling Panama Canal

The El Nino climate phenomenon, not climate change, drove lower rainfall last year that reduced the Panama Canal's water levels and contributed to shipping restrictions that disrupted global trade, a study released on Wednesday found. Prioritizing water for human consumption rather than for the canal also played a role in shipping restrictions, according to the study by research consortium World Weather Attribution. Panama experienced its third-driest year on record in 2023, leading the canal ...