Suez Canal to raise transit fees for most vessels

The Suez Canal Authority has announced an increase in transit surcharges for most categories of vessels.

The new rates will come into effect on July 15, Splash reports.

The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) will increase temporary surcharges on transit charges for most types of vessels transiting the waterway.

Oil tankers will be hit hardest by the increase. For cargo vessels, the surcharge will increase from 25% to 37% of the base rate, and for ballast tankers, from 15% to 27%.

For LPG and chemical tankers, the surcharge will increase from 20% to 32%, and for LNG carriers, from 7% to 19%.

Dry cargo carriers will also face increased costs: the surcharge for them will increase from 10% to 22%.

Container ships, which have been gradually returning to the Red Sea and Suez Canal routes in recent months, will pay an additional 12%. The current system of differentiated surcharges for container ships will remain unchanged.

For general purpose ships, ro-ro, heavy transport ships and other categories, the surcharge will increase from 14% to 26%. Car carriers will pay 26% in the northern direction and 12% in the southern direction.

The only category that will not be affected by the changes is passenger ships.

The SCA noted that the decision was made “in view of the current situation in the maritime market”. The new surcharges will apply to ships that begin transit through the canal on or after July 15.

At the same time, the basic tariffs of the Suez Canal remain unchanged from 2024. The additional charges are temporary and may be revised or canceled depending on the market situation.

USM previously reported that gas tankers from Qatar and the UAE are turning off transponders to pass through Hormuz.