Increased port charges effective from July
May 07, 2015, Australia, Townsville
A 5% increase will apply to port charges at the Ports of Townsville and Lucinda effective 1 July 2015.
The Layup Concession will continue to operate and its effectiveness will be monitored and reviewed through the Port Advisory Body….
….The Port of Townsville Limited (POTL) has implemented a number of cost control measures in recent years to ensure operating costs and overheads have been reduced. POTL has also worked in close partnership with berth operators
and port service providers to improve port efficiencies and capacity.
Over the next 12 months, POTL will continue to deliver a number of important port infrastructure projects including further road upgrades for triple road train access, construction of increased laydown areas, channel and harbour entrance widening, demolition of Berth 6/7 and the proposed upgrade of Berth 4. These projects will further increase capability and competitiveness….
(For further details and information about operations in Australia contact GAC Australia at shipping.australia@gac.com)
Source: Port of Townsville
New Canal tolls structure approved
May 07, 2015, Panama, Panama Canal
Following the recommendation by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Board of Directors, on April 27 2015, the Cabinet Council of the Republic of Panama officially approved a news Canal tolls structure, which modifies the pricing structure for most segments…
….The following modifications to the pricing structure have been approved for the different segments in order to meet and align with the diverse vessel types transiting the Canal.
– Full container vessels will continue to be measured and priced based on TEU capacity and TEUs loaded with cargo.
– Dry bulk carriers will be priced based on deadweight tonnage, and if transiting the neopanamax locks, on deadweight tonnage and metric tons of actual cargo.
– Tanker vessels will be measured and priced based on Panama Canal Universal Measurement System (PC/UMS) tons, and if transiting the neopanamax locks. On PC/UMS plus metric tons of cargo carried.
– Chemical tanker vessels will continue to be priced based on PC/UMS.
– Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) carriers will be priced based on cargo-carrying capacity in cubic meters.
– Vehicle carriers and Ro-Ro vessels will be priced based on PC/UMS tons, taking into consideration the percentage of utilization of the cargo-carrying capacity of the vessel for each transit.
– Units of measurement for passenger, refrigerated cargo, general cargo, and “others” vessel segments, including small craft (those charge with minimum tolls), will remain unchanged.
Additionally, a new Intra-Maritime Cluster segment has been created, which includes vessels dedicated to local tourism, marine bunkering and container transshipment that do not compete with international trade. Customers interested in becoming part of this segment are required to submit Form 5595, available at www.pancanal.com/common/maritime/forms/5595.pdf, to the Procedures and Maritime Customer Liaison Office, located on the first floor, Building 729, Balboa, Republic of Panama.
The new tolls structure also includes a customer-loyalty program for those vessels in the full container segment that frequently transit the Cana;, whereby a preferential tariff will be applied once a particular TEU volume has been reached.
With the exception of the new Intra-Maritime Cluster, which is already in effect, the modifications to the toll structure will be effective April 1, 2016. Should the expanded Canal begin operations prior to this date, then the new toll structure will be implemented not earlier than February 1, 2016….
(For information about operations in the Panama Canal, contact GAC-Wilford & McKay at gac-wilfordmckay.panama@gac.com)
Source: Panama Canal Authority Advisory to Shipping No.A-12-2015 dated 6 May 2015
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“Jo”
