US President Donald Trump stated on April 26, 2025, that American military and commercial ships should be allowed to travel through the Panama Canal and Suez Canal free of charge. In a post on his social network, Trump wrote, "American Ships, both Military and Commercial, should be allowed to travel, free of charge, through the Panama and Suez Canals! Those Canals would not exist without the United States of America. I’ve asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to immediately take care of, and memorialize, this situation!"
The Panama Canal, an 82-km artificial waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, handles approximately 14,000 transits annually, with US vessels accounting for about 70% of total traffic, according to US Department of Transportation data. In fiscal year 2023, the canal generated $3.3 billion in toll revenues. Commercial vessel tolls range from $200,000 to $450,000 per transit, with liquefied natural gas carriers sometimes exceeding $500,000, based on Panama Canal Authority pricing schedules.
The Suez Canal, linking the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, accounts for 10 to 12% of global trade. In 2023, Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority reported $9.4 billion in revenues, driven by US and European shipping amid Red Sea disruptions.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, without directly referencing Trump, stated on April 26 that toll fees for the Panama Canal are regulated by the Panama Canal Authority, an autonomous entity. “There is no agreement to the contrary,” Mulino said. Panama has controlled the canal since 1999, following the Torrijos-Carter Treaties signed in 1977, which transferred ownership from the US.
Trump’s statement follows months of calls to regain US influence over the Panama Canal, including claims that China is operating the waterway, which Panama denies. A Hong Kong-based subsidiary of CK Hutchison Holdings manages two ports at the canal’s entrances but does not control the canal itself. In February 2025, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed an agreement allowed US warships free passage, a claim Mulino later denied.
Egypt, which operates the Suez Canal, has not publicly responded to Trump’s statement.