Trump's Panama Canal threat dents bonds, raises fears of credit downgrade

By Maria Elena Vizcaino and Zijia Song 

A row developing between President-elect Donald Trump and Panama over one of the world’s most-important waterways is denting the nation’s assets.  

Panama’s bonds dipped across the curve Monday morning, the most in emerging markets after Trump threatened to reassert US control of the Panama Canal if the nation didn’t cut transit fees. President José Raúl Mulino was quick to rebuff the threat, but the developing spat added to traders’ concerns over Panama’s outlook.  

 

Notes due in 2036 fell 0.7 cent on the dollar and the cost of insuring against a sovereign default jumped to the highest level since February on a closing basis amid thin trading, according to pricing compiled by Bloomberg. 

 

 

The waterway, built by the US Army Corps of Engineers over a century ago, is one of the biggest sources of cash for the government, which is already under pressure after a key copper mine suddenly shut down last year. What’s more, it teeters on the edge of losing its investment-grade credit score following multiple downgrades recently. 

 

“It’s additional attention that Panama doesn’t need right now,” said Nathalie Marshik, a managing director at HSBC in New York. 

 

Bonds have been the worst bet among emerging-market countries this quarter, losing 8.5 per cent in that period, according to a Bloomberg index.