Panama Canal Fee Changes Prompt CMA CGM to Introduce Surcharge

To support major infrastructure investments and improve transit predictability, the Panama Canal Authority will roll out a new prepaid slot allocation system (LoTSA) for Neopanamax vessels in January 2025. Alongside this, booking fees for these vessels will also increase.

In response to these rising costs, CMA CGM has announced the introduction of a Panama Canal Transit surcharge, effective at the start of 2025, to maintain reliable service for shipments passing through the canal.

This surcharge will be applicable to cargo on specific trade routes. For shipments traveling between the Caribbean, South America East Coast, North Europe, the Mediterranean, Africa, the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, the Red Sea, and the Indian Subcontinent, and destined for the South America West Coast, the surcharge will be set at $150 per TEU. The same rate will apply to shipments moving in the opposite direction.

Additionally, cargo transported from the Far East to the Caribbean via the Panama Canal will also incur a surcharge of $150 per TEU.