EMTA cancelled Haifa port congestion surcharge

EMTA has agreed to reduce the congestion surcharge applied to the port of Ashdod to US$15/TEU. The reduction will save US$40 M annually to the Israeli shippers
 
The Israeli shippers council announced last week that following lengthy and successful negotiations with EMTA (Europe Mediterreanean Trade Agreement) the member lines agreed to cancel the Haifa port congestion surcharge and reduce the congestion surcharge applied to the port of Ashdod.
 
In May this year EMTA member lines announced that having reviewed conditions in the Israeli ports of Ashdod and Haifa and following discussions with the Israel Shippers Council they decided to introduce Congestion Surcharges with effect from June 1st 2006 until August 31st 2006. The surcharges applied were as follows:  Haifa: USD 30/TEU and USD 2 W/M for LCL. Ashdod: USD 22.5/TEU and USD 1.50 W/M for LCL.
 
At the end of August EMTA member lines announced that having monitored the ports conditions over the past three months they decided to cancel the Haifa congestion surcharge and reduce the Ashdod congestion surcharge to US$15/TEU.
 
The reduction, according to the Israeli Shippers Council, will save US$40million annually to the Israeli shippers.
 
Mrs. Iris Shtark, chairperson of Ashdod port, welcomed the decision. Mr. Dov Marom, director general of the Israeli Shippers Council, said that the council and the member lines agreed to continue monitoring the performance and productivity in the port and will reassess the situation towards the end of the year. Marom predicted that by the end of 2006 the Ashdod congestion surcharge would also be cancelled.