Topline The Panama Canal Authority late Wednesday denied the State Department’s claim that it had agreed to a deal to allow U.S. vessels to pass through the canal without paying any toll or fees, amid threats by President Donald Trump of the U.S. retaking control of the critical waterway.
Key Facts
In a post on X on Wednesday evening, the State Department announced the government of Panama has “agreed to no longer charge fees for U.S. government vessels to transit the Panama Canal.”
The post also claimed this move would save the U.S. government “millions of dollars a year.”
A few hours later, the canal authority responded, saying it is “empowered to set tolls for vessels transiting the canal” and has “not made any adjustments to these fees.”
The canal authority added that it has indicated to the U.S. government that it is establishing “a dialogue with the pertinent officials” on the passage of U.S. warships through the waterway.
In a statement Tuesday, the canal authority mentioned Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to the canal, his meeting with the agency’s Administrator Ricaurte Vasquez and their “willingness” for dialog.
The canal authority is a Panamanian government agency in charge of the operation of the waterway; it took over the responsibility from the Panama Canal Commission—a joint U.S.-Panama operation—in 1999.
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