Panama Canal authority denies offering free transit to U.S. gov't vessels

PANAMA CITY, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Panama Canal Authority denied reports on Wednesday that it would allow U.S. government vessels to transit the canal for free, clarifying that no changes have been made to tolls or fees.

The U.S. State Department had stated that Panama agreed to waive fees for U.S. government vessels, claiming the move would save the U.S. government millions annually.