PANAMA CITY (AP) 鈥� The administrator of the Panama Canal said Friday that the vital waterway will remain in Panamanian hands and open to commerce from all countries, rejecting claims by President-elect Donald Trump that the United States should take it over.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Ricaurte V谩squez denied Trump鈥檚 claims that China was controlling the canal鈥檚 operations, and said making exceptions to current rules concerning its operation would lead to 鈥渃haos.鈥�
He said Chinese companies operating in the ports on either end of the canal were part of a Hong Kong consortium that won a bidding process in 1997. He added that U.S. and Taiwanese companies are operating other ports along the canal as well.
Trump has gone so far as to suggest the U.S. should take back control of the canal and he to do so.
鈥淚t might be that you鈥檒l have to do something,鈥� Trump said Tuesday. 鈥淭he Panama Canal is vital to our country.鈥� Trump has characterized the fees for transiting the canal that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as 鈥渞idiculous.鈥�
Panama President Jos茅 Ra煤l Mulino has .
Responding to the suggestion that the U.S. could try to retake control of the canal, V谩squez said there was 鈥渘o foundation for that sort of hope. That is the only thing I can say.鈥�
V谩squez stressed that the Panama Canal was open to the commerce of all countries.
The canal can鈥檛 give special treatment to U.S.-flagged ships because of a neutrality treaty, V谩squez added. 鈥淭he most sensible and efficient way to do this is to maintain the established rules.鈥�
Requests for exceptions are routinely rejected, because the process is clear and there mustn鈥檛 be arbitrary variations, he said. The only exception in the neutrality treaty is for American warships, which receive expedited passage.
Some 70% of the sea traffic that crosses the Panama Canal leaves or goes to U.S. ports.
The United States built the canal in the early 1900s as it looked for ways to facilitate the transit of commercial and military vessels between its coasts. Washington relinquished control of the waterway to Panama on Dec. 31, 1999, under a treaty signed in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter.
Last month, He claimed that the U.S. 鈥渇oolishly gave it away.鈥�
Regarding the fees for using the canal, Vasquez said a planned series of increases had concluded with one this month. Any additional increases would be considered in the first half of the year to give clients certainty in their planning and would go through a public comment process, he said.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no discrimination in the fees,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he price rules are uniform for absolutely all those who transit the canal and clearly defined.鈥�
The canal depends on reservoirs to operate its locks and was heavily affected by drought during the past two years that forced it to substantially reduce the number of daily slots for crossing ships. With fewer ships using the canal each day, administrators increased the fees that are charged all shippers for reserving a slot.
The canal bisects Panama, running 51 miles end to end. It allows ships to avoid the longer and costlier trip around Cape Horn at the tip of South America.
鈥淚t is an enormous responsibility,鈥� V谩squez said of Panama鈥檚 control of the canal. 鈥淭ake the case of COVID, when it arrived, the canal took the necessary measures to protect the labor force, but while keeping the canal open, because the international commitment is to keep it open.鈥�
Alma Sol铆s, The Associated Press
