Panama Canal proposes new tolls structure

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has published a proposal for modifications to its current tolls structure following  approval by the ACP’s Board of Directors on May 25, 2017. Jorge L. Quijano, Panama Canal Administrator said that the proposed modifications aim to safeguard the competitiveness of the waterway providing an efficient and reliable service to the global shipping community.

For the containership segment, the proposal offers more attractive rates per loaded containers on the return voyage, applicable only to those Neopanamax vessels deployed on the Canal route in the head and back haul legs, and when:

(1) the utilization rate of the northbound transit is higher or equal to 70 percent, and (

2) the time lapse between the northbound and the southbound transit is not greater than 25 days.

In order to promote the use of the services provided by the local transportation hub, any additional days that the vessel requires to perform port-related activities in the Panamanian terminals will not add to the 25 day period.

The proposal also modifies the tolls charged to LPG and LNG vessels, but keeps the units of measurement unchanged, as they have proven to be in accordance with industry standards.

In addition, this tolls proposal reassigns the vessels classified by the ACP as “container/breakbulk” into the “general cargo segment.” These vessels are currently part of the “others segment.”

The date for implementation of the modifications to the tolls structure is planned for October 1, 2017.