US-backed coalition says China politicizing maritime trade in Panama Canal row Last updated: April 29, 2026 | 05:09 The Panama-flagged MV 'Ever Given' (operated by Taiwan-based Evergreen Marine) container ship as it begins to move. AFP The United States on Tuesday led a group of regional countries in a joint call backing Panama in a dispute with China over the canal, calling Beijing's actions a threat to them all. The United States, which has already been vocal on the issue, led a joint statement of mostly right-leaning countries: Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago. China's actions "are a blatant attempt to politicize maritime trade and infringe on the sovereignty of the nations of our hemisphere," said the statement released by the US State Department. "Panama is a pillar of our maritime trading system, and as such must remain free from any undue external pressure," it said.…