The new administration sees Chinese-owned infrastructure as leverage over the waterway. Panama and some former U.S. military officials say concerns are overblown.

Donald Trump has refused to rule out using military force to retake the Panama Canal that was returned by the US to Panama decades ago.

President-elect Donald Trump’s threats over the Panama Canal may be rooted in his decades-long views of the country, forged by his own attempts to do business there. CNN’s Phil Mattingly reports.

Panama has rejected president-elect's threats, but Hong Kong and mainland Chinese companies have much at stake President-elect Donald Trump's threat to retake the Panama Canal to safeguard US national security has raised questions about the possible impact on Hong Kong and mainland Chinese companies operating there.

In the 1970s, a conservative coalition came together to fight ceding control of the Panama Canal—proving the political potency of the issue.

The US is the biggest user of the Canal, but influence on its operations is dispersed among contracts with bidders internationally.

After President Jimmy Carter's death at the age of 100 on December 29, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump argued that one of Carter's biggest mistakes was giving the Panama Canal to Panama back in 1977.

Analysts believe takeover comments could be aimed at getting lower fees, but they could also push Panama to embrace China

Donald Trump’s threat to forcibly retake the Panama Canal would target a waterway that generates $2.5 billion in annual revenue for Panama and handles 5% of global maritime trade, raising alarm about potential disruption to international commerce.