Published 12 years ago, updated 6 years ago

From La Prensa May 28th, www.prensa.com – translated from Spanish.

As per the press release of 28 May, the Administrator of The Panama Canal Authority, Aleman Zubreta, declared after meeting consulting Panama Canal users: “Comments will be analyzed before the new Toll structure is submitted to the Cabinet Council. Our expectation is that the new Tolls will be implemented on July 1st, 2012.”

From The Panama Guide May 29th, www.panama-guide.com.

A row has broken out between The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) over the proposed plans to increase the toll charges for the Panama Canal. ICS has attacked the plans – which it says are “rushed, excessive and likely to cause further problems”, given the current climate.

ACP released proposals to hike Canal toll charges by up to 15% last month and opened a consultation period of 30 days which culminated in a public hearing on 23 May. It is now considering the comments and written submissions received. Following the consultation, ICS sent a strongly worded letter to ACP outlining concerns from shipowners requesting that ACP concentrate instead on the development of a mutually beneficial toll structure to be introduced in late 2014.

ICS argues that the industry was assured there would only be one small adjustment to tolls before completion of the expansion project in 2014. But, under the new proposals, toll increases could come into effect as early as 1 July 2012.

Read more here.