The spat comes just days before a Latin American leader's summit in Miami and two weeks before Chile's incoming right-wing government takes over in Santiago.
It follows a contentious decision from Panama's top court to rule against a Hong Kong-backed firm’s right to operate two key terminals on the waterway.
Dozens of lawmakers foresee a surge in tensions over trade, Taiwan or supply chain disruptions possibly scuttling the current pause in US-China economic hostilities.