Panama denies US claim of warships free canal passage
Shafaq News/ On Thursday, Panamanian President, José Raúl Mulino, rejected US claims that Panama had agreed to allow American warships to transit the Panama Canal free of charge.
Mulino expressed surprise that the US State Department suggested otherwise in a statement released late Wednesday night (Panama time).
During his weekly press conference, Mulino announced that he had instructed Panama’s ambassador to Washington to refute the US statement.
He added that he had told the US defense secretary in a Wednesday phone call that neither he nor his administration could alter canal fees, which are determined by the Panama Canal Authority, Mulino pointed out.
The US State Department had posted on X that Panama’s government “US government vessels can now transit the Panama Canal without charge fees, saving the US government millions of dollars a year.”
In response, the Panama Canal Authority stated on X that it “has made no changes to tolls” and reiterated its willingness to engage in discussions with the United States regarding US warship transits.
According to American media outlets, US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to protecting the Panama Canal, arguing that the US should not have to pay transit fees for a waterway it is obligated to defend. Speaking from the Dominican Republic, he acknowledged Panama’s legal procedures while emphasizing US treaty obligations.
Rubio also conveyed former President Donald Trump’s concerns about China’s influence in the canal, suggesting it could violate the 1999 treaty ensuring the canal’s neutrality. While Panama’s canal administrators expressed openness to prioritizing US warships, they made no commitments to waiving fees.
