United States President Donald Trump declared that American military and commercial ships should be allowed to travel, free of charge, through the Panama and Suez Canals. In a post on Truth Social, Trump emphasized that the canals 'would not exist without the United States of America.'

Trump further announced that he had directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to 'immediately take care of and memorialize this situation,' underscoring the U.S. contribution to the creation and maintenance of these vital global trade routes.

The President's comments highlight a broader effort to assert America's historical and strategic interests in critical international infrastructure, particularly at a time of growing geopolitical competition and economic shifts around global shipping lanes.