On February 5, the Panama Canal Authority made a clear statement that there have been no changes to the fees it charges ships passing through the Canal, directly contradicting claims made by the US State Department. The authority explained that it had not made any adjustments to the tolls or fees that ships must pay to use the canal, which links the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
This statement came after the US State Department announced that government vessels from the United States would no longer have to pay fees to use the canal. According to the State Department, this move would save the US government millions of dollars every year. However, the Panama Canal Authority, the body responsible for managing and setting the canal’s fees, insisted that no such change had been made. They emphasized that any changes to the fees could only be decided by them, and no such decisions had been made.
The issue began when the US government made a public announcement, claiming that it had reached an agreement with Panama that would allow US government vessels to pass through the Canal without paying any tolls. The State Department highlighted that this new arrangement would help the US save significant amounts of money, as many government vessels regularly travel through the canal for various purposes, including military operations and cargo transport.
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