U.S. plans to close five overseas diplomatic missions including in Canada, Japan and Indonesia

The United States State Department is planning to close five diplomatic missions overseas in an uncommon reduction of its global diplomatic network, according to people familiar with a notice sent to Congress.

The proposed closures include the U.S. embassy in St George's, Grenada, consulates in Nagoya, Japan, Medan, Indonesia, and Winnipeg, Canada, as well as an embassy branch office in Douala, Cameroon.

The State Department did not confirm the plans but said it was committed to ensuring America's diplomatic footprint was "efficient and effective" and would continue to follow congressional notification procedures.

Cost-cutting drive

The move forms part of the Trump administration's broader effort to reduce the size of the federal government. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has argued that cost-cutting measures are needed to streamline what many conservatives view as an overly bureaucratic department.

Although the State Department underwent a major internal restructuring last year, no overseas missions were closed.

Concerns over U.S. influence

The proposed closures have raised concerns from Democrats and former foreign policy officials, who argue that shrinking the U.S. diplomatic network, alongside cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), could weaken Washington's global influence and leave room for rivals such as China and Russia to expand their presence.

The affected posts span four continents.

During the administration of former President Joe Biden, the U.S. government opened several foreign missions, all of them in the Pacific region, where the U.S. is competing for influence with China.

China already has a diplomatic presence in St George's, Nagoya and Medan, but not in Douala or Winnipeg.

The congressional notification has not been made public, and no timeline for the closures has been announced.

Read more:

• Colombia to open Jerusalem embassy in major policy shift toward Israel
• Uzbekistan to open embassy in Georgia

Tags

USA Politics Trump embassy U.S. Congress USAID U.S. foreign policy News Marco Rubio