Feb. 6 (UPI) — The Panama Canal Authority late Wednesday said it has made no change to its tolls or other fees, denying the Trump administration claim that it has agreed to no longer charge U.S. government vessels for transiting the important trade route.
“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,” it said in a statement.
“The Panama Canal Authority, as indicated, is fully prepared to engage in dialogue with relevant United States officials regarding the transit of U.S. warships.”
The denial was issued swiftly after the State Department published its claim to its social media accounts.
“The government of Panama has agreed to no longer charge fees for U.S. government vessels to transit the Panama Canal,” it said in a statement.
“This saves the U.S. government millions of dollars.”
UPI has contacted both the U.S. Statement Department and the Panama Canal Authority for comment. It has also asked what the authority charges for U.S. government vessels to transit the canal.
The contradictory statements were issued as the canal has become a focus of the Trump administration, with President Donald Trump, prior to returning to the White House, threatening to take control of the canal because it “is vital to our country,” while falsely claiming that it was under the control of China.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Panama earlier this month during his first international trip as the United States’ top diplomat.
Rubio met with President José Raúl Mulino of Panama and Foreign Minister Javier Martínez and warned them that the current status of the canal was “unacceptable.”
He said the Trump administration made a “preliminary determination” that China’s influence over the Panama Canal, which the United States built in the early 1900s, violated treaties that transferred control of the canal from Washington to Panama City.
“This status quo is unacceptable and that absent immediate changes, it would require the United States to take measures necessary to protect its rights under the Treaty,” the State Department said in a readout of the meeting.
Mulino, on the other hand, told Rubio that the canal operates autonomously, while stressing its sovereignty was not up for debate.
Though there is no evidence that the Chinese government controls the Canal, Panama Ports, a subsidiary of the Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings, operates two ports at the canal.