Shipping company Maersk risks antagonising the rest of the shipping community by doubling down on Panama Canal tariffs.

Last month, a measure came into effect stating that there would be a $10,000 per transit fresh water surcharge for all ships longer than 38.1 m. The canal authority made this decision to raise funds to fight an ongoing drought in Panama proper.

As a result of this surcharge, liners have had to ponder what to pass on to clients. Eight days ago, Marseille-based CMA CGM and subsidiary APL announced a $15 per teu canal transit surcharge.

Maersk yesterday came up with its own Panama Canal surcharge, which is twice as high as its French rival. Effective April 1, shippers will be hit with a $30 per teu surcharge for all cargoes transiting the waterway.

Variable fee
In addition to the canal’s fresh water surcharge for all transits, a variable fee -ranging from a minimum of 1% to a maximum of 10% of the vessel’s toll- will be applied. The percentage to be applied will depend on Gatun Lake’s level at the time of transit. The lake is a key part of the waterway, where water levels have dropped alarmingly over the last 12 months. The official lake level will be published daily, as well as the forecast for the following two months.

The Central American nation has battled enormous droughts of late, which saw the canal’s watershed being approximately 20% below normal levels last year and stark images of previously submerged trees reemerging along the edges of the expanded canal.

Source: splash247.com