Comment / Analysis: Panama Canal – delving into claim and counterclaim

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Donald Trump’s Panama claim rests on three assertions:

Firstly: “We built the canal, therefore it’s ours.”

Secondly: “We’re the biggest users of the canal, therefore we should pay less.”

Thirdly: “China controls the canal on the basis that a Chinese-related company operates container terminals at both ends of the canal.”

Where things stand

The general rule of thumb, historically, has been that around 40% of US-bound container traffic transits the waterway, although recent data compiled by US liner analyst John McCown suggests that the east ...