Donald Trump has begun his second term as president by ramping up pressure on Panama – threatening to “take back” the Panama Canal and accusing the country of ceding control of the strategically critical waterway to a US rival: China.

The US said Wednesday that its government vessels would sail for free through the Panama Canal, but authorities at the waterway swiftly issued a denial.

U.S. President Donald Trump will meet Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba for the first time on Friday as two allies wary of China's rise work to boost business and security ties while an escalating trade war threatens to rupture the global economy.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will go to the White House to try to rekindle Japan’s relationship with President Donald Trump — and to fend off potential tariffs.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will likely proceed cautiously in his first meeting with President Donald Trump on Friday as he seeks to avoid economic fallout from tariffs and reaffirm his country’s security alliance with the US.

Prices will rise for Americans who buy $5 shirts, $10 lamps and $20 shoes on direct-from-China shopping sites like Shein and Temu after U.S. President Donald Trump this week imposed 10% tariffs on goods from China.

President Donald Trump is facing pressure from U.S. hospitals and generic drugmakers to exempt medical goods from his new tariffs on Chinese imports, as they join big pharma lobbyists who have said such trade barriers will cause shortages of medicines and higher prices in the United States.

After a 10 percent tariff on Chinese products took effect on Tuesday, China announced retaliatory measures, including tariffs and an investigation of Google.