When prices go up for passing through the Panama Canal on 1 May, it will hit Maersk Line, the canal's biggest customer, particularly hard. Prices will rise from USD 192 to USD 212 per container. And the bill will be footed by Maersk's customers.
According to Lloyd's List this could cost shipowners up to an extra EUR 33,000 per transit.
"We mustn't fool ourselves. We have given the lines the opportunity to incorporate the price rises into their negotiations with customers. And that's what they will do," in the words of a statement from an anonymous source with the Panama authorities to Lloyd's two weeks ago.
A.P. Møller-Mærsk will not exclude the possibility of rerouting ships to an increasing extent. Mærsk Line has access to the Panama Canal and the Suez Canal, and if the Latin-American authorities get too greedy the line will be more inclined to sail the other way around the world.
This may become increasingly necessary as the Canal Authorities have given notice of more price rises during the next two years.