Panama Canal announces changes to tariffs and new surcharges

The canal has announced changes to their tariffs and new surcharges.

The Panama Canal Authority has released the following linked advisory which includes a number of new tariffs or surcharge changes including:

  • Change in the water surcharge formula (0 to 10 as opposed to 1 to 10%)
  • Changes in the pre-booked transit date (effectively clarification on the charges)
  • Swaps of vessels which are both pre-booked after the first attracts a percentage of the pre-booking fee as opposed to a flat amount (prior)
  • Substitution of a non-pre-booked vessel into a pre-booked vessel slot, based on time out attracts a fee from 500USD (more than 21 days) to a percentage of the pre-booking amount (closer to the date than 20 days)
  • Cancellation of auctions
  • There is some change to the pre-booking amount / auction minimum for “days of high demand”, it is expected clarification will come closer to the start of the surcharge
  • Just in time arrival transit modifications to fees
  • Advancement of transit date of a pre-booked vessel at the request of the vessel
  • Basket of new surcharges
  • Port captain inspection
  • Emergency equipment surveillance services
  • Disruption charges
  • Approval of vessel plans

If you have any questions, please email ISSPanama@iss-shipping.com and we will field them to the canal through the communication period; the below is drafted as in place from 1st Jan 2023.