A resolution expressing the vital importance of the Panama Canal to the United States.
This is a Senate resolution (non-binding) expressing the United States Senate’s view on the Panama Canal and urging action to preserve its neutral status. It recounts historical context—how the United States built and controlled the canal for decades, and how the canal remains a crucial link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, with a significant share of traffic involving U.S. ports. The resolution raises concerns about growing Chinese influence in Panama’s canal-related infrastructure and ports and claims such investment could jeopardize the canal’s neutrality under a 1977 treaty. It concludes by urging the administration to keep the canal neutral and to take steps to enforce the Neutrality Treaty. Because it is a resolution, it does not change law or create new obligations; rather, it signals Senate priorities, frames the issue as a matter of national security and hemispheric influence, and requests executive action.
Key Points
- 1The Panama Canal is portrayed as vitally important to U.S. regional security, hemispheric influence, and economic interests, with thousands of vessels passing through annually and a large share linked to U.S. ports.
- 2The resolution provides a historical overview: the canal was built and operated by the United States (1904–1914), and control relations evolved through treaties ending with the 1977 Torrijos-Carter Neutrality Treaty, which preserves U.S. ability to defend the canal’s neutrality.
- 3It expresses concern about increasing Chinese involvement in Panama’s canal-adjacent infrastructure and port operations (including specific examples of deals and Chinese-affiliated entities) and frames this as expanding China’s strategic footprint.
- 4The resolution asserts that a pattern of Chinese-backed investment in Panama’s ports and canal operations could violate the Neutrality Treaty.
- 5It explicitly urges the Trump administration to ensure the canal remains neutral and to take all appropriate measures to enforce the Neutrality Treaty.