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Rubio addresses Panama Canal fee dispute, outlines USAID staff guidance and exceptions
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Summary
When pressed by reporters about confusion over a U.S. State Department statement on Panama Canal transit fees, Secretary Marco Rubio said Washington had clear expectations but respects Panama's processes. He also provided guidance on USAID staff affected by agency return orders, saying employees were placed on leave of absence with possible
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that the United States had made its expectations clear to Panama about canal fees but would respect Panama's domestic procedures, and he outlined how a new USAID return order would be administered for affected staff.
When Reuters and The New York Times asked about a diplomatic dispute over whether Panama agreed to waive fees for U.S. government vessels, Rubio said: “I respect very much that Panama has a process…they have rules. They have laws. They're gonna follow their process, but our expectations remain the same.” He added that the U.S. has a treaty obligation to protect the Panama Canal and said it would be “absurd” for the U.S. to pay fees to transit a zone the U.S. is obligated to protect.
On USAID employees, Rubio said guidance has been issued placing affected staff “on leave of absence, not fired,” and that Washington will assist with return travel during the 30‑day period. He said exceptions and specially designated programs would be identified, and that family or safety circumstances would be considered. “We're not trying to be disruptive to people's personal lives,” he said, adding the measure was intended to secure cooperation and information about programs.
Rubio defended the administration's approach as necessary after efforts to obtain cooperation through USAID’s central office yielded what he described as inconsistent responses. He said the U.S. intends to continue foreign assistance that “makes sense and is aligned with our national interest,” and will work to identify which programs will be exempt from the order.
