The guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley (DDG 101) prepares to enter the Panama Canal.
The Panama Canal Authority, or ACP, has disputed claims by the U.S. State Department that U.S. government vessels can pass through the strategic waterway without paying transit fees.
Just days ago, the State Department said on X that waiving the fees would save “millions of dollars a year.” However, the ACP responded yesterday that it “has not made any adjustments” to its toll structure.
The U.S. Navy currently pays $5.50 per ton to transit the Panama Canal, a rate consistent with charges to all warships from any nation.
The disagreement arises amid growing tensions over the canal’s management. President Donald Trump has previously criticized what he termed “exorbitant” rates for U.S. Navy vessels. During a weekend visit to Panama, Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the U.S. would “take measures necessary to protect its rights” if Panama did not make immediate changes.
Although Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino reportedly assured Rubio that U.S. Navy vessels would be allowed free passage, the ACP’s statement contradicts this assurance.
The ACP, an independent agency as per Panama’s constitution, manages the 51-mile waterway and expressed its willingness to discuss the transit of U.S. warships with American officials.
In a statement, the ACP clarified: “In response to a publication released by the United States Department of State, the Panama Canal Authority, which is authorized to set tolls and other fees for transiting the Canal, reports that it has not made any adjustments to them. With absolute responsibility, the Panama Canal Authority, as it has indicated, is willing to establish a dialogue with the relevant officials of the United States regarding the transit of warships from that country.”
