Panama Canal charges go up

Shipowners will soon be paying more services they require when ships transit the Panama Canal.

The Panama Canal Authority says rates for tug services will increase 8% and those for line handling services will rise 7%. Additionally, a US$300-per-wire fee will be charged for ancillary locomotive services, up from the current $200. Wires are attached to the locomotives to ensure that the vessels stay centered as they transit through the locks. The ACP says the increasing are necessary due to rising operating costs brought about by fuel hikes. Over the past eight years, says the ACP, $1,329m has been spent on buying a new fleet of state-of-the-art tugs, a new generation of locomotives and other improvements.
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