The head of the Federal Maritime Commission will tell a U.S. Senate committee that the United States has options to address the growing presence of China and Chinese firms in Panama. President Donald Trump has vowed that the United States would take back the Panama Canal but has given no further details on when or how he intended to reclaim the canal — which is the sovereign territory of an ally.
"We need to increase support for American companies seeking to do business in Panama and throughout the Americas. Chinese companies must not be the sole bidders on contracts," Federal Maritime Commission Chair Louis E. Sola said in written testimony to be presented on Tuesday at the Senate Commerce Committee hearing on the Panama Canal.
Sola added that "Chinese companies have been able to pursue billions of dollars in development contracts in Panama, many of which were physical infrastructure projects, some on or adjacent to the Panama Canal."
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