PRESS ROOM

Draught and transit restrictions on the Panama Canal are resulting in carriers’ introducing surcharges, which could impact on the international container shipping services, including LCL and FCL import and export operations, provided by the U-Freight Group.
 
This year has seen the Panama Canal Authority (PCA) cut the navigable draught of the artery and impose transit restrictions on both the Panamax and neo-Panamax lock systems, as the country has battled drought conditions and the El Nino weather phenomenon. As a consequence, the costs to use the canal have increased significantly for shipping companies.
 
Media reports suggest that Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) will add a surcharge of USD297 per teu on Panama Canal shipments from December 15, and CMA CGM a USD150 per teu surcharge from 1 January 2024, other carriers, including Maersk Line, Ocean Network Express and Hapag-Lloyd are reviewing the situation.
 
In a recent customer advisory, Maersk warned its customers that it may have to take further action if its current and advanced planning arrangements with the PCA did not secure its needed transit slots and secure its schedules.
 
Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd, also expressed concern over the Panama Canal situation during a recent webinar with the press, suggesting that if capacity was cut further, some of its tonnage might have to be redirected, perhaps via the Suez Canal. He did not specifically mention surcharges for canal transits.
 
In justifying its Panama Canal surcharge, MSC said: “Despite several measures to conserve water, taken over the last months, lack of precipitation in the area is affecting the water level of the canal. Consequently, the canal authority has recently confirmed further restrictions regarding the number of vessels crossing the canal. These restrictions, combined with the increase of the canal tariff implemented earlier this year, are having a direct impact on overall MSC operations costs.”

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