Trump says U.S. ships should be allowed to travel through the Panama and Suez canals for free

Cargo ships wait in the anchor zone to cross the Panama Canal from the Pacific entrance near Panama City. Photographer: Walter Hurtado/Bloomberg (Walter Hurtado/Bloomberg)

WASHINGTON — 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 per cent 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.

Trump has said repeatedly that he wants to “take back” the canal. Before taking office in January, he told reporters that he would not rule out using economic or military force to regain control over the canal.

Reporting by Jasper Ward in Washington; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Matthew Lewis.