The Panama Canal Authority (PCA) is proposing a new containership charging scheme that would, for the first time, charge for empty containers returning to Asia. The plan will also increase tolls for other types of laden and empty container ships. Get a sea freight quote
In addition to the empty vessel charges, the proposal calls for a fixed fee for each passage of the vessel, based on the locks used and the size of the vessel, which would run until 2025.
The proposal also proposes to levy a capacity fee based on the type and size of the vessel. Under the proposal, the loyalty program created in 2016, which originally encouraged ship operators to use the canal's Neo-Panamax locks, will now be reduced from Category 6 to Category 1 eligible vessels. It is reported that the loyalty program will be phased out by 2025. According to data from the Canal Authority, 55% of the tonnage of ships passing through uses the new locks.
Marotta said the current fee scheme was "a very complex system". "The goal is to make it simple and transparent."
Marotta said the toll will help fund a $2 billion project where authorities plan to build additional reservoirs to supply fresh water to the canal, which has been dealing with traffic restrictions due to low water levels. In 2020, authorities imposed a surcharge on ships related to the water level of the canal, which many believe has been affected by climate change.
The current container ship charging system has been in place since 2017 and charges are assessed based on vessel capacity and the actual number of containers loaded.
Changes in toll charges could significantly affect those on long-term charter contracts on the US Gulf-East Asia route, as the canal is the most convenient link between the two markets in the US and East Asia.
In December, the Canal Authority said it wanted the charges to reflect changing market conditions, including increased global demand for LNG. The Canal Authority also said it would communicate more directly with market participants on how to ease congestion. Congestion caused some LNG carriers in line to be diverted to the Cape of Good Hope last fall. The Canal Authority said the maximum wait times for unscheduled LNG carriers to pass through the canal were 5 days (northbound) and 3 days (southbound). In the future, ships that do not meet IMO emission standards may face additional costs during peak winter energy demand periods.
