Trump says US ships need free travel through the Panama and Suez Canals

[MicroB]

38 minutes ago, rough diamond said:

Good point which I had forgotten!

But all that did was to allow Egypt to take control of "their" canal which then rolled over into the Aswan Dam US/USSR stand off which the USSR won!

 

I think Eisenhower realised the strategic error he made.

[Lacessit]

Canals need maintenance, which is borne by the countries bordering them.

 

Trump's demand is equivalent to me boarding a train, ship or aircraft, and claiming free travel.

[rough diamond]

Just now, MicroB said:

 

I think Eisenhower realised the strategic error he made.

I also believe so!

[rough diamond]

Just now, Lacessit said:

Canals need maintenance, which is borne by the countries bordering them.

Not just maintenance but everything else that goes into them including expansion, pilots, tugs, navigation aids, dredging etc.

[MicroB]

50 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

My estranged high-flyer sister is the only person I know who can carry a grudge longer than Trump.

 

Don't forget Putin.

 

https://www.newsweek.com/putin-decree-triggers-ominous-alaska-calls-territory-empire-soviet-union-1862689

 

158 years of hurt as far as he's concerned. He has a massive chip on his shoulder about all things historic.

 

Still, that beated by the Afghan market trader, berating a British officer on foot patrol about damage the British Army had done to the market, and demanding compensation. The British officer, worried about a stray bomb maybe hitting the town that he wasn't  aware of, asked for more details so he could urgently look into it. Turns out the old fella was talking about the Second Afghan war of 100+ years earlier. Memories ran deep.

[rough diamond]

28 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Cool. Free is good.

Until with no income they close!!

[BLMFem]

1 hour ago, Yagoda said:

Cool. Free is good.

Always loved the balloon chasers.

[billd766]

2 hours ago, rough diamond said:

This is from the link; "“Those Canals would not exist without the United States of America,” Trump said,"

I can see tenuous links between the Panama canal and the USA wrt construction. history, politics and geography but what links does the USA have with the Suez canal?

Absolutely none.

 

WHY should the USA NOT pay the same rates as the shipping lines belonging to the rest of the world?

 

Trump is NOT god or even the leader of the world, though perhaps in his own tiny mind and alternate world, he believes that he is.

 

IMHO Panama should make a deal with China on a 50/50 basis , leasing control and then see how long it will take for Trump to fold.

 

AI Overview
Learn more
Who built the Suez Canal? | The Sun
The Suez Canal was primarily built by a company, the Suez Canal Company, founded and led by Ferdinand de Lesseps. He secured the concession to build the canal from the Ottoman Viceroy of Egypt, Sa'īd Pasha, in 1854. The canal was designed and constructed by an international team of engineers, and construction began in 1859, lasting until 1869. 
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Ferdinand de Lesseps:
A French diplomat and engineer, he spearheaded the project by securing the necessary permissions and financial backing from both the French and Egyptian governments. 
The Suez Canal Company:
This company, jointly owned by French and Egyptian entities, was responsible for the design and construction of the canal. 
Construction:
The canal was built using a combination of forced labor (initially), paid labor, and steam-powered machinery, according to History.com and Britannica. 
Opening:
The Suez Canal officially opened to navigation on November 17, 1869. 

[billd766]

2 hours ago, jerrymahoney said:

Geography? Can't beat this:

“I was very up-front in my briefing on Day One that, if we feel that there are lies being pushed by outlets in this room, we are going to hold those lies accountable,” Leavitt said.

“And it is a fact that the body of water off the coast of Louisiana is called the Gulf of America. And I’m not sure why news outlets don’t want to call it that, but that is what it is.”
 

The Gulf of Mexico ahs been know as the Gulf of Mexico since the 1550s, long before the USA was even a country.

 

The gulf has been known as the Gulf of Mexico since the 1550s, having derived its name from Mexica, the Nahuatl term for the Aztecs.

[Tug]

Presently there are only 178 us flagged ships of 1,000 tons or greater that’s not much.

[stevenl]

17 minutes ago, billd766 said:

WHY should the USA NOT pay the same rates as the shipping lines belonging to the rest of the world?

Because he might invade and forcibly take control.

[rough diamond]

Just now, stevenl said:

Because he might invade and forcibly take control.

What!

Invade  both Panama and Egypt at the same time and think the rest of the world will let it happen.

Four block ships and both canals are closed.

Take over failed.

USA totally isolated.

[NoDisplayName]

3 hours ago, bannork said:

President Donald Trump called for “free of charge” passage of American ships through the Panama and Suez canals,

 

Egypt should respond by implementing an additional tariff of 10% on US shipping, and a corresponding BRICS reduction of 10% on Chinese ships.

 

"Make Egypt Great Again"

[rough diamond]

36 minutes ago, billd766 said:

The Gulf of Mexico ahs been know as the Gulf of Mexico since the 1550s, long before the USA was even a country.

 

The gulf has been known as the Gulf of Mexico since the 1550s, having derived its name from Mexica, the Nahuatl term for the Aztecs.

Mexico has the greater claim;

The United States has approximately 1,631 miles of coastline along the Gulf of Mexico, while Mexico has about 2,046 miles. 

With three other countries making up the rest!

[stevenl]

12 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

Egypt should respond by implementing an additional tariff of 10% on US shipping, and a corresponding BRICS reduction of 10% on Chinese ships.

 

"Make Egypt Great Again"

You think 10 percent is enough? 

But a great idea.

[MicroB]

37 minutes ago, Tug said:

Presently there are only 178 us flagged ships of 1,000 tons or greater that’s not much.

 

One of the reasons US built ships are so expensive is because the the Jones Act. The Jones Act requires all ships conducting trade between US ports (eg loading in Los Angeles, unloading in Delaware) to be both US flagged and US owned. Thus there is a lack of competition.

 

https://pacificlegal.org/the-jones-act-a-disastrous-legacy-for-the-u-s-economy-and-security/

[NoDisplayName]

5 minutes ago, MicroB said:

 

One of the reasons US built ships are so expensive is because the the Jones Act. The Jones Act requires all ships conducting trade between US ports (eg loading in Los Angeles, unloading in Delaware) to be both US flagged and US owned. Thus there is a lack of competition.

 

https://pacificlegal.org/the-jones-act-a-disastrous-legacy-for-the-u-s-economy-and-security/

 

That's only part of it.

 

It requires that all goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried on ships that have been constructed in the United States and that fly the U.S. flag, are owned by U.S. citizens, and are crewed by U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents.

 

 

 

[stevenl]

17 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

That's only part of it.

 

It requires that all goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried on ships that have been constructed in the United States and that fly the U.S. flag, are owned by U.S. citizens, and are crewed by U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents.

 

 

 

Time to set tariffs on US shipping then. I'd say 50 percent additional on all US ships docking or unloading worldwide.

[candide]

There are actually relatively few large merchant ships under U.S. flag, and they probably don't all use the Panama Canal. 

https://www.bts.gov/content/number-and-size-us-flag-merchant-fleet-and-its-share-world-fleetq

[rough diamond]

51 minutes ago, candide said:

There are actually relatively few large merchant ships under U.S. flag, and they probably don't all use the Panama Canal. 

To make it easier to read; As posted earlier there are less than 200 US Flagged ships over 1,000 tons.

 

[billd766]

2 hours ago, rough diamond said:

Mexico has the greater claim;

The United States has approximately 1,631 miles of coastline along the Gulf of Mexico, while Mexico has about 2,046 miles. 

With three other countries making up the rest!

But the USA has a leader who is full of bombast and BS.

 

Bombast

 

Dictionary
Definitions from Oxford Languages · Learn more
bom·bast
/ˈbämbast/
noun
high-sounding language with little meaning, used to impress people.
"the bombast of gung-ho militarism"