The Panama Canal Authority is the agency of the government of Panama responsible for the operation and management of the Panama Canal. The ACP took over the administration of the canal from the Panama Canal Commission, the joint US–Panama agency that managed the canal, on December 31, 1999, when the canal was handed over from the United States to Panama as per the Torrijos–Carter Treaties. It is headquartered in Balboa, a district of Panama City.
The Panama Canal Authority has firmly denied recent U.S. claims that Panama has agreed to waive fees for U.S. government vessels..