Teddy Roosevelt believed the Panama Canal would reduce shipping costs for goods coming to the U.S., and it would make it easier for ships by avoiding having to go all the way around South America.

Yes, Teddy Roosevelt believed that the Panama Canal would reduce shipping costs for goods coming to the U.S. and make it easier for ships by avoiding having to go all the way around South America. He saw the canal as a way to increase trade and commerce between the U.S. and other countries in the region.