Question: who owns and operates the panama canal today?
Answer: Panama Canal Authority, Panama, Panamanian government

A decade later , in 1974 , negotiations toward a settlement began and resulted in the Torrijos -- Carter Treaties . On September 7 , 1977 , the treaty was signed by President of the United States Jimmy Carter and Omar Torrijos , de facto leader of Panama . This mobilized the process of granting the Panamanians free control of the canal so long as Panama signed a treaty guaranteeing the permanent neutrality of the canal . The treaty led to full Panamanian control effective at noon on December 31 , 1999 , and the Panama Canal Authority ( ACP ) assumed command of the waterway . The Panama Canal remains one of the chief revenue sources for Panama .