Due to the imbalance in world trade flows, shipping lines have changed their routes and prefer to move empty containers to Asia, a situation that generates shortages and causes increases in freight rates and raw material prices.
In this scenario of new commercial reality, the operating costs of maritime freight have been impacted, since due to the restrictions imposed in several countries around the world, containers have been stranded.
Because of the lower-than-projected volume of cargo shipped on the September and October services, the maritime route between Port Moin and Shanghai was suspended.
Costa Rican exporters are negotiating to change the frequency of the maritime route between Port Moin and Shanghai from monthly to weekly from February 2020.
The company Oceánica Internacional has started operating a new maritime cargo service that will connect the port of Hong Kong with El Salvador without the need for transshipments.
The goal of the new route is to expand the options for transporting maritime cargo between the region and Asia, benefiting in particular Central American companies that import goods from China.
From July 25 to 28 representatives from the port industry in the region will be meeting in Belize at the XXXIX Port Meeting of the Central American Isthmus.
At the event, to be held at the Best Westerm Biltmore Plaza Hotel in Belize, the main discussion panels will address current issues such as the Cruise Industry, Mobility and Logistics Policy in Central America, Strengthening Environmental Port Management in Central America, Multilateral Agreement And Safety, Port Security and Protection, Gross Verified Mass (GVM), Climate Change and the Role of Women in the Port Industry, among others.
There has been an increases in traffic of neopanamax ships, which now produce revenues of $68 million, as well as extra maritime services that used to go through the Suez Canal.
An article on Prensa.com reports that "...During the first two months of operation of the expanded Canal 130 neopanamax ships were reported to have passed through, most of them container ships, bringing in total revenues of $68 million.Since the expanded Canal opened on June 26, business has been growing, with 2 new services coming from the Suez Canal, said the Canal Administrator Jorge Luis Quijano."
With the entry into operation of the new locks, the Panama Canal is beginning to regain market lost in recent years to the Suez Canal.
60% of vessels transporting cargo between Asia and the United States now passes through the new locks, up from 40% earlier this year. Until the opening of the expanded canal, this market share of maritime cargo went through the Suez Canal.
I Panama companies warn that container traffic will drop if the implementation of the new tariffs for food import inspections are not stopped.
The Business Council Logistics (Coel) is concerned that if the new tariffs do come into force of on July 3, "... the window will open for other state institutions to suggest similar increases, putting at risk the second most important sector of the Panamanian economy after the Panama Canal. "
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 shipping company Streamlines has announced a new route connecting Puerto Barrios in Guatemala with Canaveral Terminal, in north Florida, USA, from where it will connect with Rotterdam.
From a statement issued by Agexport:
AGEXPORT, in strategic alliance with the shipping company Streamlines presents a new alternative sea route to the two main export markets: the United States and the European Union.
The maritime union has requested a reconsideration of the transshipment tariffs governing food from the 1st of April, as it represents 48% more on operating costs.
From a statement issued by the Maritime Chamber of Panama:
Panama, April 1, 2016. - The Maritime Chamber of Panama and unionized shipping lines in the CMP has called for a reconsideration on the part of the Panamanian Authority for Food Safety (AUPSA) over what they consider an unfortunate measure made by this entity.
The amount of containers transported went up by 5% between 2014 and 2015, while freight movement in tonnes grew by 7% in the same period.
According to the Maritime Authority of Panama, the only items that showed a negative percentage rate when comparing the months of January and February 2014 and 2015 were the movement of cruise passengers and the movement of vehicles.
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.
Shipping companies are preparing to increase by between 10% and 12% the rates for maritime transport from Guatemala to the United States.
These increases have yet to be confirmed by the Federal Maritime Commission of the United States, explained Rolando Coronado, president of the Shipping Association of Guatemala, but the export sector predicts a deterioration in competitiveness.
The new Panama Canal toll structure will come into effect on April 1, 2016, except for the new segment of Internal Maritime Cluster which is already in effect.
From a statement issued by the Maritime Authority of Panama:
PANAMA CITY, Panama, April 29, 2015 - The Cabinet Council of the Republic of Panama has officially approved a proposal to modify the Canal tolls structure, following a recommendation from the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Board of Directors.