President-elect Donald J. Trump’s threat to take back the Panama Canal may be posturing, but it could dampen the Panamanian government’s wish to broaden relations with the United States, analysts say.

The administrator of the Panama Canal said Friday that the vital waterway will remain in Panamanian hands and open to commerce from all countries, rejecting claims by President-elect Donald Trump that the United States should take it over.

The US is the biggest user of the Canal, but influence on its operations is dispersed among contracts with bidders internationally.

Donald Trump has refused to rule out using military force to retake the Panama Canal that was returned by the US to Panama decades ago.

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.

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

Analysts believe takeover comments could be aimed at getting lower fees, but they could also push Panama to embrace China

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.