The global relevance of companies seeking the award of a third port for container ships in the Pacific is a clear sign of the importance of Panama as maritime and logistics hub.
The companies pre-qualified to participate in the tender for the concession of a new port in Corozal are subsidiaries of the largest shipping companies such as Maersk-Denmark, MSC-Italy and CMA-CGM-France or are direct port operators, in this case the most important in the world, PSA from Singapore.
The shipping company has drawn attention to the impact that the Canal expansion will have on its operations noting that there are still only a few ports that can receive Post Panamax vessels.
The two routes that the Danish shipping company Maersk Line ceased to operate in 2013 were of great importance for Latin America, whose operations account for 10% of the company's total sales worldwide.
The arrival of the first ships with capacity of 13 TEUs at the Panamanian port of Balboa is evidence of how shipping services are changing, a prelude to the opening of the expanded Canal.
Trips taken by cargo bound for East Asia with two major shipping companies in the world, Maersk Line and MSC, will be shorter, thanks to the port at Balboa now being able to manage ships carrying over 13,000 TEUs's, a capacity which is close to the amount carried by ships which will pass through the expanded Canal.
One of the routes is operated by Maersk Line from Asia to the US West Coast and the other by the company Hamburg Sud, going from South America to the Caribbean.
The Canal Administrator Jorge Quijano, said these two new services will generate "between $25 million to $30 million each." Vessels operating the routes are of medium size and will start going through the canal in the coming months.
A new weekly service by APL will go to Valparaiso, Callao, Buenaventura, Balboa, Manzanillo, Jacksonville, New York, and Charleston.
An article on Prensa.com reports that the head of Latin America Markets for APL, Efrain Osorio said that "... this new service will provide a faster journey time for the U.S. market for reefers and dry goods, with modern equipment and priority for handling refrigerated cargo. "
Starting from May 15, rates will be raised on goods transported to the Far East, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and the East Coast of South America.
Beginning May 15, the Danish shipping company Maersk Line said its rates for the Far East (excluding Japan), the Middle East and the Sub Indian continent will see an overall increase of $500 per 20-foot container and $1,000 per container measuring 40 feet, 40 feet HC, and 45 feet of dry cargo.
SeaLand will be located in the U.S. and will have a structure that is similar to that of other regional Maersk operators.
The new subsidiary of Maersk Line and AP Moller-Maersk Group will operate in the same way as MCC Transport which operates in Asia and Seago Line in Europe.
The new company will have sales staff and customer support with local knowledge in every American country, in order to offer a better service focused on customers in local markets.
The shipping company Maersk joins APL in raising its prices on refrigerated container shipping from January 2013.
Capital.com.pa reports that "this increase is global, meaning that the shipping companies assure that the competitiveness of Panamanian [or regional] exports will not be affected."
"... The Singaporean shipping company APL announced an increase in the freight rate of $1,500 per FEU's (40 foot container) in all refrigerated cargo shipments worldwide, from January 7, 2013. This comes at the same time as the announcement made by Maersk Line, in mid-year, arguing that it was necessary to increase freight rates for refrigerated containers worldwide, because current rates are from 2005 and new investments are needed in refrigerated containers. "
The shipping company has announced a rise in service fees for transporting refrigerated containers from Central and South America and Africa.
In 2011, as result of the high prices of bunker fuel, the shipping company increased its fares for regular (dry) containers by 30%, on routes serving Latin America.
"'With a market share of 24%, refrigerated containers are an area in which we are, to put it mildly, overweight.