Suez tolls unchanged again

Suez tolls unchanged again    The Suez Canal Authority has frozen tariff levels for transiting the canal for the third year in a row.
   The canal saw vessels transits increase 4.4 percent to 17,993 vessels in 2010, while tonnage passing through the waterway increased 15.2 percent to 846.4 million tons, according to a report by Containerisation International. Containerships accounted for 55 percent of all volume passing through the canal.
   Reports indicated the authority, in freezing tariff levels, is concerned the global economy has not recovered fully and would not support rising transit tolls. Ship owners are facing rising operating costs, including significant hikes in bunker rates. It's unclear what role recent political unrest in the Middle East and the continuing threat of piracy near the southern entrance of the canal played in the decision.