Panama's president: Panama Canal does not offer separate price cuts for US ships

The canal is now run by Panamanians, with an open and transparent toll setting process that does not cut prices for American ships alone.

Responding to a question from Xinhua at a press conference on Thursday (December 26), Mulino said that the financial compensation given to Panama by the United States for controlling the Panama Canal is minimal. Panamanians have worked for generations to regain sovereignty over the canal, and US President-elect Donald Trump's talk of "taking back" the canal ignores historical facts.

Mullino said Trump's comments were motivated purely by "geopolitical fear." He noted that the Panama Canal is now run by Panamanians.

Mulino also reminded Trump that the Panama Canal is closely linked to the U.S. economy and that maintaining the canal's normal operation is crucial to U.S. imports and exports. He stressed that the Panama Canal toll standard setting process is open and transparent, and will not reduce the price of U.S. ships alone.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that the canal is an "important national asset of the United States" and threatened to "take back" the Panama Canal. In response, Mulino issued a statement on Sunday saying that the Panama Canal and adjacent areas will always belong to Panama, and that Panama's sovereignty and independence are not negotiable. Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Venezuela and other Latin American countries have subsequently expressed support for Panama to defend the sovereignty of the canal.