Mamish: Up to 50% tariffs cut for container ships in Suez Canal

CAIRO – 16 August 2017: Head of Suez Canal Development Zone (SCZone) announced Wednesday that tariffs on ships will be reduced up to 50 percent to increase the number of containers and transit ships and encourage investors to hold activities in the Egyptian ports.

Speaking at a press conference to announce the application of the ports’ unified bill, SCZone Chairman, Mohab Mamish, said that container ships carrying less than 200 containers will not be granted a discount, while those carrying from 200 to 500 containers will have a 10 percent reduction.

Moreover, container ships carrying less than 1,000 and 2,000 containers will get 15 and 20 percent cuts, respectively.

A 25 percent reduction will be granted to container ships carrying less than 3,000, SCZone Chairman said, adding that 45 percent will be reduced from ships carrying less than 3,333 containers and 50 percent for more than 3,333 containers.

Mamish added that tariffs cut will be applied on the ports of the Suez Canal Development Zone as a first phase to develop the Suez Canal in east and west Portsaid, Ain Sokhna and El-Tor.

Decreasing the tariffs does not indicate a decline in the service level, Mamish highlighted.

In April, Mamish announced reductions on the fees for a number of shipping lines, as a 40 percent fee discount for bulk cargo ships moving from South Africa ports to Mediterranean ports was set, including those along the Black Sea to Ceuta Port.