Senators hold hearing on impact of Panama Canal



The Senate Commerce Committee holds a hearing on the impact of the Panama Canal on trade and national security as President Donald Trump renews calls to ‘take back’ control of the crucial waterway.

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38 thoughts on “Senators hold hearing on impact of Panama Canal”

  1. Look up what China has been doing in the last 4 years and what their future plans are to get an idea of the strategic moves around the globe, some causing the USA to be concerned.

    Americans need to take a closer look at what is being put in positions that will affect the USA.

    Reply
  2. China companies working in Mexico. Change Made in China over to Made In Mexico and then sent into USA.

    So does that means that USA citizens are buying Made in Mexico when products/materials are from China?
    Humm.

    Reply
  3. Is Water is reducing in/at Panama Canal?

    Yes, the Panama Canal is currently experiencing significant water loss due to a severe drought, primarily caused by an El Niño weather pattern, leading to low water levels in Lake Gatun, the primary source of water for the canal operations, which has forced the Panama Canal Authority to restrict the number and size of ships passing through, disrupting global shipping considerably.

    What are the historical records of the water situation?

    Reply
  4. The canal is gradually coming back to about 30 to 33 transits per day, and with the new early booking system, Vásquez says the Authority has the ability to better forecast future canal transit demand.

    “We are seeing more bookings for the Chinese Lunar New Year,” he said. “We are scaling up once again, to about 36 transits per day and we expect to be there probably by January.”

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  5. The increase in vessel transits is occurring despite a dip in October, caused by the International Longshoremen’s Association strike on the East and Gulf Coasts of the U.S. when the canal saw a slowdown in containers across the first eight days of the month, according to Vásquez.

    The strike was settled, at least temporarily, after a few days, though could restart in mid-January if a lasting deal is not reached. “Some of the volumes caught up,” Vásquez said. “We are talking to the shipping companies about this. The second half of the month was a bit stronger than the first eight days.”

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  6. PANAMA CITY, July 8 (Reuters) – The Panama Canal expects to complete a billion-dollar construction of a new water reservoir within six years that will help ensure the passage of 36 ships a day, the administrator of the global waterway said on Monday.

    The Indio River reservoir project would become part of the network of existing artificial lakes that allow for safe passage through the canal and provide water for human consumption.

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  7. Last month, the Panama Canal said after recent rains boosted water levels, it would increase the total number of available slots in both Neopanamax and Panamax locks to 35 slots after Aug. 5.

    Increased rainfall in recent months has allowed the canal, the world's second-largest, to replenish its watershed, leading to an increase in transits that had been severely restricted last year amid a drought.

    Reply
  8. Panama Canal authorities have been exploring ways to desalinate portions of the lake.

    They are also Testing ways to SEED CLOUDS to increase rainfall.

    So this Seed Cloud is being used to cause rain by creating clouds.

    Pray that it is used correctly and not politically. Yes, no?

    Reply
  9. The United States transferred control under the terms of what is known as the Torrijos-Carter treaties — named for General Omar Torrijos, then the commander of Panama's National Guard, and President Jimmy Carter. The two agreements were signed by both countries on September 7, 1977.

    The Panama Canal Treaty mentions that the US control over the canal would end on December 31, 1999 (Article 2, paragraph 2). The other treaty, known as the Neutrality Treaty, states in Article 5 that "after the termination of the Panama Canal Treaty, only the Republic of Panama shall operate the Canal and maintain military forces, defense sites and military installations within its national territory."

    Panama agreed that the United States would retain the right to defend the canal if it were ever threatened by a foreign aggressor.

    While there are no indications of China controlling the canal, the country is extensively involved in construction projects. Experts have raised concerns about two ports in the Panama Canal that have long been operated by a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings. China is the second-largest customer of the Panama Canal after the US.

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  10. According to recent information, while there isn't a definitive count of exactly how many canals are currently under construction worldwide, there is a noticeable surge in new canal building projects across the globe, driven by factors like climate change and the need for more efficient shipping routes, with notable examples like the proposed Nicaragua Canal and the Kra Isthmus Canal being considered as major new waterway constructions.

    Reply
  11. Several major proposed canals:

    Projects like the Nicaragua Canal (connecting the Atlantic and Pacific), the Kra Isthmus Canal (in Thailand), and the Istanbul Canal (connecting the Black and Aegean Seas) are among the most prominent proposed canals that could significantly impact international shipping. 

    Climate change influence:

    Concerns about rising sea levels and changing weather patterns are driving the need for new canal infrastructure to adapt to these challenges.

    Reply
  12. Lists of Canal's looking at being built:

    The Iranrud Waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea through Iran

    The Ben Gurion Canal project, connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea through Israel

    The Eurasia Canal, proposing to connect the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea

    The Istanbul Canal, which would connect the Black and Aegean seas.[1]

    The Thai Canal, which would cut across the Kra Isthmus

    The Nicaragua Canal, alternative of Panama Canal

    The Salwa Canal, a proposed Saudi shipping and tourism canal along the border with Qatar

    The Northern river reversal in the Soviet Union

    The Sulawesi Canal, which would connect the Gulf of Tomini with the Makassar Strait.

    Reply
  13. Currently, Mexico is not building a traditional "canal" like the Panama Canal, but is instead constructing a large development project called the "Interoceanic Corridor" which primarily consists of a railway system across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, aiming to function as a competitor to the Panama Canal by facilitating the transport of goods between the Pacific and Atlantic coasts via cargo trains; this project is often referred to as the "Isthmus of Tehuantepec Interoceanic Corridor (CIIT)".

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  14. Mexico's CIIT or Corredor Interoceánico del Istmo de Tehuantepec is so refreshing. It actually got built in four years, and to nearly everyone's surprise, the “Dry Canal” portion began operating in late 2023 with an initial capacity to move about 1.5 million containers per year.

    Reply
  15. Currently, the most prominent canal being constructed by China is the Pinglu Canal, which aims to connect the Yangtze River to the Beibu Gulf, facilitating easier access for goods from China's southwest to Southeast Asian ports like Vietnam and Malaysia; construction began in August 2022 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

    Reply
  16. From December 2013 to October 2015, China built artificial islands with a total area of close to 3,000 acres on seven coral reefs it occupies in the Spratly Islands in the southern part of the South China Sea.

    The establishment of the artificial Islands is one of its strategies to expand its military power; China could use these waters as a block as well as the lead operations zones during a time of war with rivals such as the United States.

    Reply
  17. Good job on building a case that Panama Canal is not guarded enough to withstand an attack to shipments through Canal = USA ships/supplies at risk = economy hit, loss of revenue/products/meeting contracts, etc.

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  18. It is important to clarify many of the lies that Trump and his circle of cronies have been repeating to mislead the American public and pave the way for an invasion of Panama.

    Let's start with the fact that the United States did not pay for the expansion of the Panama Canal; Panama fully financed the project. Today, 60% of the canal’s traffic depends on the new locks, which were built and paid for by Panama.

    U.S. warships have priority passage through the canal and pay the lowest tolls. Commercial vessels from the United States do not pay extra—every commercial vessel, regardless of its country of origin, pays exactly the same toll. The claim that U.S. ships are unfairly charged more is yet another lie spread by the Trump administration. There are three different routes that U.S. commercial ships can take to transport goods, but they choose the Panama Canal because it is by far the most cost-effective option.

    China has no control over the Panama Canal at all. There are two ports in Panama operated by Hutchison Port Holdings. This Hong Kong-based company was granted the concession for these ports in 1997, when the canal was still under U.S. administration. Hutchison Port Holdings manages 60 ports worldwide, including one on the U.S. West Coast.

    This is a purely commercial agreement with no connection to the administration of the canal, which operates independently under the Panama Canal Authority. Ships transiting the canal are not required to stop at these ports, and there is not a single Chinese soldier in them—they are privately operated.

    The United States is conducting a disinformation campaign filled with blatant lies to manipulate public opinion. Republican Senator Ted Cruz, along with other Republican senators, is one of the main figures behind this campaign. What is their goal? To pressure Panama into selling the canal at a ridiculously low price—or to justify an intervention. The only real threat to the canal’s neutrality comes from the United States itself.

    The construction of the canal 120 years ago did not cause the deaths of 38,500 Americans, as Trump and his allies claim. Approximately 5,600 people died during construction, of whom fewer than 300 were Americans. The vast majority were Afro-Caribbean laborers brought in as a workforce, whose descendants today are an integral part of Panama’s community.

    For 100 years, the United States not only collected all toll revenue from the Panama Canal but also controlled hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of Panamanian territory, using it to build military bases while paying Panama a pittance. The U.S. recovered its investment a hundred times over—and more.

    During this time, Panamanians were forbidden from entering their own land. In the 1960s, U.S. military forces massacred Panamanian students who attempted to raise Panama’s flag in the occupied territory. These were unarmed children. To this day, Panama honors January 9 as Martyrs’ Day, a sacred national holiday, in remembrance of this massacre.

    The return of the canal to Panama was not an act of generosity from the United States, as Trump tries to claim. It was the result of decades of generational struggle, culminating in the Torrijos-Carter Treaties.

    Do not be misled—The Panama Canal is and will remain Panamanian!

    Reply
  19. now as far es the gulf of américa Vespucio, it's about time it get cleared up. the rule of law dictates certain rights and past those than it's extent is public domain, and thus I agree América Vespucio is the correct stand🇺🇸🗽‼️☮️

    Reply

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