The US State Department has notified Congress of plans to close five diplomatic consulates in Canada, Grenada, Japan, Indonesia and Cameroon, as part of a program to reduce costs and restructure the US diplomatic presence abroad.
According to the announcement, missions in St. George’s (Grenada), Nagoya (Japan), Medan (Indonesia), Douala (Cameroon) and Winnipeg (Canada) will be closed.
The decision comes as part of reforms undertaken by the State Department under the leadership of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, following Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025.
The move has sparked criticism from Democrats, who warn that the US withdrawal from these countries could create space for China’s expanding diplomatic influence.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen stated that Beijing already has a diplomatic presence in some of the countries where the US is closing missions and that the gap could be exploited to undermine American interests.
The decision has also been opposed in Canada, where the closure of the consulate in Winnipeg is considered a blow to economic and diplomatic cooperation between the two countries.
Former consulate official Brad Kirbyson said the lack of a diplomatic presence in central Canada will make it more difficult to maintain relations with the region.
The US State Department defended the decision, stating that it aims to create a more efficient and functional diplomatic network, while respecting the legal procedures of Congressional notification.
The closures are part of a broader process of reducing US diplomatic operations. Over the past year, the State Department cut more than 1,300 jobs, while more than half of US ambassador positions around the world remain unfilled, including in strategic countries such as Germany, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.