According to a viral Threads post, the Panama Canal is doubling its transit fees on U.S. military vessels in response to Donald Trump. “BREAKING: Panama Doubles Fees For U.S. Warships Transiting Canal,” the post reads. It goes on to quote Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino: “In our country, we have an ‘a-hole tax’ that kicks in automatically whenever anyone with orange skin threatens us … When they sincerely apologize, the rate goes back to normal.” The post has also appeared on sites like X and Facebook.
The claim is false. The Panama Canal is not raising rates on U.S. military ships, and the quote included in the post is fake.
In a December 21 post on Truth Social, Donald Trump accused Panama of charging “exorbitant prices” for U.S. military vessels and commercial ships passing through the Panama Canal and threatened to put the canal back into American control. “The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the U.S. This complete ‘rip-off’ of our Country will immediately stop,” he wrote. “If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, and without question,” he continued in a follow-up post. “To the Officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly!”
The following day, Mulino issued a public response to Trump’s threat. “As President, I want to express that every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent area belong to PANAMA, and will continue to be. The sovereignty and independence of our country are not negotiable,” he said. Nowhere in the statement, however, does Mulino threaten to raise rates on U.S. ships or refer to an “a-hole tax.”
The rates charged on ships passing through the Panama Canal are based on the type of ship making the trip and its size. According to the Wall Street Journal, tolls range from around $300,000 to $1 million per crossing and priority slots can be purchased via auction by ships with time-sensitive cargo. The Panama Canal is required to remain neutral and U.S. military vessels are not subject to higher rates than other vessels, however, American military ships are given priority access to the canal when available.
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