Port of Belize Hikes Landing Charges

It seemed like a relatively harmless announcement yesterday when the Ports of Belize Limited issued a release announcing their new charges for landing and unloading containers at the facilities. Today however those prices which list a US$175 charge for unloading a 20 foot container and US$350 for unloading a 40 foot container became a major bone of contention between the Ports of Belize and the shipping agents. We now understand that these price increases, US$25 on the 20 foot container, and $50 dollars on the 40 foot container are unilateral in that they are not sanctioned by the relevant authorities, meaning, the Ports Commissioner or the Minister. Again we understand that while a new unloading price increase has been authorized, that approval was only up to $200 and not up to $350. Now shipping agents are being billed for the new prices retroactive to December of last year and they are in a bind to figure out what to do next. Our understanding is that invoices owed to the Ports by shipping agents are in excess of a million dollars. And while that is one thing, this latest increase, if it is in fact taken on will inevitably be passed on in the price of goods being landed at the Port.