Bullying at its peak: Donald Trump now threatens Panama, says will take away control of vital shipping canal

US President- elect Donald Trump has pretty recently voiced his strong opposition to the fees charged by the country Panama for the use of the Panama Canal which is a pretty vital shipping route for US commerce, reported The Hill.

According to The Hill, at a very recent rally Donald Trump ended up describing the fees charged by Panama to use the canal as ‘ridiculous’ and a ‘complete rip-off’ while threatening to demand that control of the canal be returned to the US if changes are not made extremely soon. Adding onto that, Donald Trump also criticized the treaty form the year 1999 that actually transferred control from the US to Panama while labeling it as an extremely foolish decision made by former US President Jimmy Carter.

He also asserted that the US as a responsible country has a vested interest in the secure and efficient operation of the canal while emphasizing on the fact that it should not fall into ‘the wrong hands’ specifically in light of concerns about recent and severe Chinese influence in the region, noted The Hill.


The remarks of Donald Trump have prompted a response from the President of Panama who defended the tariffs as necessary for operational costs and demand, asserted The Hill. The Panama Canal is extremely crucial for global trade with approximately 14,000 vessels transiting it annually and it still remains absolutely integral to the US national security and economic interests.

FAQs:
Against what US President- elect Donald Trump recently voiced his strong opposition?

US President- elect Donald Trump has pretty recently voiced his strong opposition to the fees charged by the country Panama for the use of the Panama Canal which is a pretty vital shipping route for US commerce.

How did Donald Trump describe the fees charge by Panama to use the canal?

At a very recent rally US President- elect Donald Trump ended up describing the fees charged by Panama to use the canal as ‘ridiculous’ and a ‘complete rip-off’ while threatening to demand that control of the canal be returned to the US if changes are not made extremely soon.