Panama Drops Fees for US Government Vessels Transiting Panama Canal: State Department

Panama has agreed to waive fees, which amount to millions per year, for the U.S. government’s use of the Panama Canal, the State Department said.

Locomotives help guide a cargo ship as it passes through the Miraflores locks while transiting the Panama Canal near Panama City on May 24, 2024. Martin Bernetti/AFP via Getty Images

The Department of State on Wednesday said that U.S. government vessels can now traverse the Panama Canal without having to pay charge fees, which will save the U.S. government millions of dollars per year.

“The government of Panama has agreed to no longer charge fees for U.S. government vessels to transit the Panama Canal,” the State Department said in a post on social media platform X.