!['Saving millions of dollars a year': US wins free Panama Canal access after Trump pressure](https://decode11.com/media/2025/02/msid-117966244imgsize-889744-txkz60-1024x576.png)
The United States announced that its government vessels will now transit the Panama Canal free of charge, saving millions of dollars annually. This comes after intense pressure from President Donald Trump and follows discussions with Panama, where US Secretary of State Marco Rubio highlighted the unfairness of previous transit fees due to the US’s role in defending the strategic waterway.