Shorouk Express
In December, Trump accused China of expanding its influence in the management of the Panama Canal and slammed officials for charging “exorbitant prices and rates of passage.”
The Panama Canal connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. The Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea.
Both are essential for global commerce, cutting down shipping time and costs, while also giving militaries a quick way to move between oceans, strengthening geopolitical influence.
Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino responded on X, without naming Trump, that the “transits and costs of all vessels through our Canal” are regulated by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), an autonomous governing body. “There is no agreement to the contrary,” Mulino said.
