Panama denied making any changes to allow U.S. government vessels to transit the Panama Canal for free, contradicting claims made by the White House that such an agreement had been reached.
The State Department said in a statement on X that its government vessels “can now transit the Panama Canal without charge fees, saving the US government millions of dollars a year”. However, responding to the comments, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) pointed out that it is the one authorized to set tolls and other fees for transiting the canal and had not made any adjustments to them.
To remind, in Donald’s Trump inaugural address on 20 January, the U.S. President vowed that the US would take back control of the Panama Canal.
During a visit to the country, Rubio met Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino, as well as the canal’s administrator, Ricaurte Vásquez Morales.
The Panama Canal Authority following his visit stated that it had conveyed its intention to work with the US navy to optimise transit priority for its vessels through the canal.
This commitment for dialogue with Washington remained, the ACP said in a separate statement on 4 February.
