Panama box handling charges up 33%

Panama's congress has approved a 33 percent increase to the cost of handling a container in the country's ports, Business News Americas reported.

The current US$9 will increase to $12 per container.

To implement the raise, congress approved addendums to the original contracts signed between the state and the three port operators Motores Internacionales, Colon Container Terminal and Panama Ports Company (PPC).

The increase will be applied retroactively from January 1 and will remain in place until end-December 2013, when tariffs will be studied once again.

(Source: www.cargonewsasia.com )