Panama Canal Authority proposing to modify toll structure
The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has taken a big step towards modifying its tolls structure by publishing its proposed changes.
Publication marks the start of a 30-day formal consultation period in which industry stakeholders can give feedback.
And it comes after an already extensive period of meetings and discussions with Canal customers about possible changes.
Those exchanges led to proposals to give extra incentives to the containership sector, to revise tolls for LPG and LNG vessels, and to reclassify container and breakbulk ships.
The proposals will be open for public comment until July 3 to be followed by a public hearing on July 5.
Target date for implementing the modifications is October 1, 2017.
The current tolls structure has been in place since April 1, 2016.
Since then the huge Canal expansion project has been completed, with the inauguration of the new third locks occurring in late June 2016, a change that allows much larger vessels than before to transit the inter-oceanic waterway.