The canal’s two biggest ports are operated by a Hong Kong company with global reach. The Trump administration sees a Chinese threat to U.S. security.

There are plenty of ways to dodge a toll, such as defacing your license plate or forcing someone else to pay the charges. However, very few people are bold enough to simply say they have a deal that doesn’t really exist.

Panama is weighing whether to cancel its contract with the Hong Kong-based company that operates ports near the Panama Canal, according to people with knowledge of the situation, a potential concession to defuse President Donald Trump’s threats about countering China’s influence around the key waterway.