North America-Far East shipping lines granted 50% discount on fees at Suez Canal ports

North America-Far East shipping lines granted 50% discount on fees at Suez Canal ports: Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Chairman Mohab Mamish issued a decision yesterday slashing port fees by 50% for ships traveling from North America to the Far East via Egypt, an unidentified source tells Al Mal. The discounts are applicable to long-haul cargo ships that stop at the East Port Said or Ain Sokhna ports for transit services or commercial operations. Officials had announced in August that the government would be granting breaks as high as 50% on Suez Canal port fees, with the discounts being proportionate to the volume of cargo being shipped. The Transport Ministry had started implementing unified port fees nationwide in October, after Minister Hisham Arafat and Mamish agreed on the measure back in June. A number of major shipping firms had decided to quit the East Port Said port to protest Egypt’s move to hike port fees.