Trump: US ships should travel through the Panama and Suez canals for free

27/4/2025 6:18

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that American military and commercial ships should be allowed to travel through the Panama Canal and Suez Canal free of charge.



"I’ve asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to immediately take care of, and memorialize, this situation," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.



The Panama Canal crosses the narrowest part of the isthmus between North and South America, allowing ships to move more quickly between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It carries about 40% of U.S. container traffic each year.



The U.S. completed construction of the canal in the early 20th century but gave control of the strategically important waterway to Panama in 1999.