EXCLUSIVE: The President-elect recently made comments about the "ridiculous" fees being charged by the Panama Canal for ships to pass through, bemoaning the US "foolishly giving it away."

In the 1970s, a conservative coalition came together to fight ceding control of the Panama Canal—proving the political potency of the issue.

President-elect Donald Trump speaks about his ambitions for buying Greenland from Denmark and retaking the Panama Canal despite a treaty.

Treaties ratified by the Senate in 1978 established permanent neutrality, but some Republicans regret that decision.

Donald Trump’s threat to forcibly retake the Panama Canal would target a waterway that generates $2.5 billion in annual revenue for Panama and handles 5% of global maritime trade, raising alarm about potential disruption to international commerce.

The administrator of the Panama Canal has responded to criticisms from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, denying that there is any interference from China in the canal’s operations and saying giving special privileges to any nation would only cause problems.

President-elect Donald Trump’s threats over the Panama Canal may be rooted in his decades-long views of the country, forged by his own attempts to do business there. CNN’s Phil Mattingly reports.