PANAMA FLASH! | Panama City – July 16th, 2025
Notice of Tariff Adjustment – Ports of Balboa & Cristobal (Effective September 9, 2025)
As part of our commitment to keep you informed of operational developments that may impact your business, we wish to advise that Hutchison Ports PPC has announced a revision to its General Tariff and Port Charges, applicable to both containerized and non-containerized cargo handled at the Ports of Balboa and Cristobal.
The new tariff structure will become effective as of September 9, 2025, and will apply to all services rendered from that date forward.
For your reference, we have attached the following documents:
- Customer Advisory – Port Charges (Containerized Cargo)
- Customer Advisory – Port Charges (Non-Containerized Cargo)
- Revised General Terms, Conditions, and Tariff (v27)
To support your internal review and cost planning, below is a comparison of some of the most relevant tariff items that reflect the upcoming adjustments:
Summary of Tariff Adjustments (2023 vs. 2025)
••• 1. Dockage Charges
Charges applied for the time a vessel remains docked, calculated from the time the first line is tied until the last line is released.
| Service Description | 2023 Rate | 2025 Rate | Increase |
| Working Vessel – First 24 hrs (per GT) | $0.100 | $0.105 | 5.00% |
| Working Vessel – Next 24 hrs (per GT/hr) | $0.007 | $0.008 | 14.29% |
| Working Vessel – After 48 hrs (per GT/hr) | $0.011 | $0.012 | 9.09% |
| Non-Working Vessel (per GT/day) | $0.240 | $0.250 | 4.17% |
| Minimum Dockage Fee (All Vessels, per day) | $145.00 | $160.00 | 10.34% |
⚠ All above charges are subject to a 25% surcharge on national holidays.
⚖ Vessels retained by courts or authorities are subject to a 300% surcharge on dockage fees.
••• 2. Mooring & Unmooring Charges
Charges applied per maneuver of mooring or unmooring, based on vessel gross tonnage (GT).
| Service Description | 2023 Rate | 2025 Rate | Increase |
| Up to 9,000 GT | $209.00 | $259.00 | 23.92% |
| 9,001 to 15,000 GT | $258.00 | $283.00 | 9.69% |
| 15,001 to 25,000 GT | $394.00 | $419.00 | 6.35% |
| Over 25,000 GT | $489.00 | $514.00 | 5.11% |
💡 Each maneuver is charged individually. Charges apply per operation regardless of simultaneous berthing.
••• 3. Labor Services
Applies to terminal labor personnel assigned to ship or shore services, with a 2-hour minimum and holiday surcharges.
| Service Description | 2023 Rate | 2025 Rate | Increase |
| Port Worker (per person, per hour) | $21.50 | $25.00 | 16.28% |
| Minimum Charge (2 hours, per person) | $43.00 | $50.00 | 16.28% |
| Holiday/Rest Day (per person, per hour) | $25.90 | $29.50 | 13.90% |
••• 4. Cleaning of the Dock
Applied when a vessel leaves contamination, spills, or residue on the terminal dock area. Charged hourly with a minimum of 2 hours.
| Service Description | 2023 Rate | 2025 Rate | Increase |
| Cleaning of the dock (per hour) | $110.00 | $132.00 | 20.00% |
••• 5. Wasted Time / Delay
Applies when terminal personnel or equipment remain idle due to delays attributable to the vessel, cargo, or its representatives.
| Service Description | 2023 Rate | 2025 Rate | Increase |
| Charge per minute | $5.50 | $6.50 | 18.18% |
••• 6. Dredging Charge
Applies to all vessels that dock or undock in the Ports of Balboa or Cristobal or use the maneuvering area under concession to wait or change direction. The charge is applied per foot of draft (or fraction) based on the greatest draft per maneuver (entry and exit).
| Draft Range | 2023 Rate (USD) | 2025 Rate (USD) | % Increase |
| Less than 10 feet | $3.98 | $4.18 | 5.03% |
| 10 – < 20 feet | $7.95 | $8.35 | 5.03% |
| 20 – < 30 feet | $13.10 | $13.76 | 5.04% |
| 30 – < 40 feet | $16.95 | $17.80 | 5.01% |
| 40 feet and more | $21.00 | $22.05 | 5.00% |
••• 7. Ship Security
Applies to all vessels that dock or undock at the ports of Balboa or Cristobal. This charge supports the implementation and maintenance of port security measures in compliance with the ISPS Code.
| GRT Range | 2023 Rate (USD) | 2025 Rate (USD) | % Increase |
| Up to 3,000 | $70.00 | $80.00 | 14.29 |
| 3,001 to 6,000 | $140.00 | $155.00 | 10.71 |
| 6,001 to 10,000 | $275.00 | $305.00 | 10.91 |
| 10,001 to 20,000 | $385.00 | $405.00 | 5.19 |
| Over 20,000 | $485.00 | $510.00 | 5.15 |
••• 8. Ship Security Container Handling Services
Covers all charges related to the movement, loading/unloading, shifting, inspection, and handling of standard and non-standard containers at the Ports of Balboa and Cristobal. This includes activities such as container transfer between ship and yard, internal relocations, container stripping/stuffing, scanner transportation, and administrative changes.
| Service Description | 2023 Rate (USD) | 2025 Rate (USD) | % Increase |
| Local empty (per move) | $240.00 | $265.50 | 10.62 |
| Local full (per move) | $370.00 | $410.00 | 10.81 |
| Empty/full Transshipment (per move) | $185.00 | $205.00 | 10.81 |
| Non-standard containers (per move) | $351.00 | $490.00 | 39.60 |
| Shifting within same warehouse (per move) | $122.00 | $135.00 | 10.66 |
| Shifting via dock (2 moves) | $244.00 | $270.00 | 10.66 |
| Shifting via Container Yard (per move) | $335.00 | $370.00 | 10.45 |
| Shifting within terminal (per unit) | $69.50 | $76.50 | 10.07 |
| Transportation to scanner (per unit) | $48.00 | $52.50 | 9.38 |
| Change in shipping/transshipment info (per unit) | $69.50 | $76.50 | 10.07 |
| Container Segregation (per container) | Not applicable | $46.00 | New |
| Stripping/Stuffing 20′ (max 4 hrs) | $387.00 | $425.00 | 9.82 |
| Stripping/Stuffing 40/45′ (max 6 hrs) | $522.00 | $575.00 | 10.15 |
••• 9. Vehicle Handling Services
Covers a wide range of services related to the movement, handling, shifting, and storage of vehicles at the Ports of Balboa and Cristobal. This includes local and transshipment loading/unloading, shifting within the terminal, and vehicle storage. Below are a few of the main service descriptions and their respective rates:
| Service Description | 2023 Rate (USD) | 2025 Rate (USD) | % Increase |
| Local vehicle loading/unloading (up to 8 passengers, per unit) | $111.83 | $120.00 | 7.31 |
| Local vehicle loading/unloading (>8 passengers, per unit) | $223.65 | $258.00 | 15.36 |
| Local vehicle loading/unloading (heavy/tractor, per unit) | $335.00 | $335.00 | 0.00 |
| Transshipment vehicle (up to 8 passengers, per unit) | $55.00 | $55.00 | 0.00 |
| Transshipment vehicle (>8 passengers, per unit) | $110.00 | $110.00 | 0.00 |
| Transshipment vehicle (heavy/tractor, per unit) | $165.00 | $165.00 | 0.00 |
| Special segregation via Ship-yard (per unit) | $10.00 | $10.00 | 0.00 |
| Shifting via dock (2 moves) | $80.00 | $80.00 | 0.00 |
| Shifting on board the ship (per move) | $40.00 | $40.00 | 0.00 |
| Shifting within storage area (per move) | $40.00 | $40.00 | 0.00 |
| Shifting of MAFI units at storage area (per move) | — | $100.00 | New |
| Vehicle storage – Import/Export (per unit/day) | $15.00 | $15.50 | 3.33 |
| Vehicle storage – Transshipment (per unit/day) | $15.00 | $15.00 | 0.00 |
| Transportation & Equipment storage – Import/Export (per unit/day) | $20.00 | $20.60 | 3.00 |
| Transportation & Equipment storage – Transshipment (per unit/day) | $20.00 | $20.00 | 0.00 |
| Others storage – Import/Export/Transshipment (per unit/day) | $25.00 | $25.00 | 0.00 |
| MAFI storage local (20–39 tons, per unit/day) | — | $50.00 | New |
| MAFI storage local (40+ tons, per unit/day) | — | $100.00 | New |
| MAFI storage transshipment (20–39 tons, per unit/day) | — | $25.00 | New |
| MAFI storage transshipment (40+ tons, per unit/day) | — | $50.00 | New |
| Empty MAFI storage (per unit/day) | — | $20.00 | New |
••• 10. General and Bulk Cargo Handling
This service covers the unloading of import cargo or the loading of export cargo at the Ports of Balboa and Cristobal. Charges apply per ton or based on volume (whichever is greater), using a standard conversion factor of 2.5 m³ per ton unless otherwise authorized due to special cargo characteristics.
| Service Description | 2023 Rate (USD) | 2025 Rate (USD) | % Increase |
| General Cargo – Local (Balboa) | $18.51 / ton | $20.50 / ton | 10.75 |
| General Cargo – Local (Cristobal) | $16.51 / ton | $20.50 / ton | 24.20 |
| General Cargo – Transshipment (Balboa) | $12.50 / ton | $14.50 / ton | 16.00 |
| General Cargo – Transshipment (Cristobal) | $10.50 / ton | $14.50 / ton | 38.10 |
Should you have any questions or require support analyzing specific impacts on your operations, our team remains at your full disposal.
For additional information, please reach out to our operators at operations@nortonlilly.com.pa.
Norton Lilly International (Panama) S.A.
Bldg. 3825 – Office 204
Howard – Panama-Pacifico
Panama, Rep. of Panama
Tel: (507) 304-4600
Main email: operations@nortonlilly.com.pa (24 hours)
