‘Absolute necessity’: Trump raises concerns about Panama Canal, says Greenland

President-elect Donald Trump suggested on Wednesday that the US could take control of Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal – an unexpected Christmas Day message that has raised concerns among world leaders in recent days as they try to prepare for Trump’s second term in the White House.

In a post Wednesday on the Truth Social forum, Trump wished a “Merry Christmas to all,” including “the wonderful Chinese military, who love, but illegally, operate the Panama Canal,” before moving on to Canada. and Greenland, which he also suggested would be better off under US rule.

Trump reiterated his claim that US shippers are forced to pay “absurd” and “exorbitant” rates to navigate the Panama Canal—the artificial, 51-kilometer waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. He has suggested, without evidence, that Chinese interests are gaining influence over the waterway, something Panamanian leaders have strongly denied.

TRUMP REJECTS IDEA OF GETTING PANAMA CANAL: ‘GIVE US STUPIDLY’

In his Truth Social letter on Wednesday, Trump also mocked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a “dictator” repeating his recent suggestion that Canada should be turned into an American country.

“If Canada were to become our 51st state, their taxes would be reduced by more than 60%, their businesses would double in size, and they would have as much military protection as any other country in the world,” Trump said.

Finally, the president-elect turned to Greenland; an independent, geographically significant Arctic region full of natural resources, including rare minerals.

The US, Trump said on Wednesday, “feels that ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity” for reasons of national security and “global freedom.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is seen on November 29, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Big picture

Trump’s long post on Truth Community has done nothing to ease the concerns of other world leaders, who have been watching Trump’s actions and statements in recent weeks for clues about how he might govern in a second term.

The remarks also appear to be at odds with the “America First” policies long promoted by Trump, which seek to prioritize domestic policy over US expansion or presence abroad.

Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., addressed Trump’s concerns in a debate Thursday, describing China’s influence over the Panama Canal, and the high prices that shippers receive, as “a shot across the bow.”

“Remember, we have China and Cuba,” Zinke said on “Mornings with Maria.“ “We have Maduro in Venezuela. We’ve had Russian ships there. And the Panama Canal is vital to our national security. And right now, it’s run by the Chinese Communist Party. So it’s worrisome—absolutely.”

‘AMERICA FIRST’ VS. ‘AMERICA IS SAVED’: WHAT DOES TRUMP’S RETURN MEAN FOR US FOREIGN POLICY?

Homes are illuminated after sunset in Tasiilaq, Greenland. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana,)

To be sure, this is not the first time Trump has shown interest in Greenland, an area rich in minerals and geographically important.

In 2019, former President Trump told reporters that he was “interested” in buying Greenland, which he described at the time as a “big deal” for real estate. The 2019 effort did not gain traction, however; and this week, Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede immediately poured cold water on the idea that their land could be sold to the US.

“Greenland is ours,” Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede said this week, in response to Trump’s proposal.

“We are not selling and will not be sold,” he said. “We must not lose our long struggle for freedom.”

Meanwhile, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino has also disputed the idea that US ships have been selected or paid a premium to cross the Panama Canal—and the idea that the US, which has lost ownership since the 1970s, has any right. to regain control of the transport location.

In a video posted on social media earlier this week, Mulino assured his countrymen that “the sovereignty and independence of our country will not be discussed.”

The Panama Canal is one of the largest and most important shipping routes in the world. It handles about 5% of all global maritime trade and about 40% of US container ship traffic.

Picturesque Lake Gatun, Panama Canal. (Danuta Hamlin)

The recent price increases are the result of drought and increased competition, which caused water levels to drop last year to their lowest level on record. Although the water level has risen again, the canal’s operators have been forced to temporarily reduce vessel traffic and increase the cost of vessels using the point.

Other factors have also contributed to the high prices of marine vessels.

A series of attacks on ships in the Red Sea late last year prompted several major shippers, including BP and Equinor, to pause or reroute their shipments away from the Suez Canal. Others chose to reroute supplies via the Cape of Good Hope, adding weeks of extra time to their journey.

The Department of Government Operations, or DOGE, wrongly claimed on social media last week that the Panama Canal cost American taxpayers $15.7 billion. In fact, higher costs are associated with ships passing through the waters, in the form of tolls. The US government does not fund the canal.

‘AMERICA FIRST’ VS. ‘AMERICA IS SAVED’: WHAT DOES TRUMP’S RETURN MEAN FOR US FOREIGN POLICY?

The locks on the Panama Canal opened to shipping on Dec. 2023. Drought conditions have limited the number of ships that can navigate the canals per day, adding further price pressure to shipping companies. (Danuta Hamlin)

Panamanian authorities have emphasized that the prices are not the result of “unfair” treatment, or submission to China or any other country’s influence.

“This channel has no direct or indirect control from China, the European Union, or the United States or any other power,” said Mulino in his remarks. “As a Panamanian, I reject any portrayal that misrepresents this fact.”

However, Trump does not seem to support the expansionist claims.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM

“The Panama Canal is considered a VITAL national asset of the United States, due to its vital role in the American Economy and National Security,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social letter on Sunday. “A secure Panama Canal is essential to US Commerce, as well as rapid shipping for the Navy, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and greatly reduces shipping times at US ports.”

“We will not represent it,” he said. “Therefore, to the Panamanian authorities, please be guided accordingly.”