The French port of Marseilles has decided to cut port fees for container ships with capacity over 3,000 TEUs by 5% next year.
Reports say the reduced taxation is part of a move to woo higher volumes of container traffic to the port and in particular the deep-water container terminal at Fos.
Measures have also been announced to offer additional incentives to carriers which bring in significant increases in container throughput.
Officials also want to boost ro/ro traffic which is mostly at Marseilles' eastern docks. Port fees will be cut by 25% for ro/ro vessels with capacity over 35,000 cubic metres (m³).
These cuts in port dues are coming on top of an original plan by the port to increase its dues by an average 1.1% overall in 2008.
Officials say that the 1.1% average increase in dues over the port as a whole can be understood in three different parts.
Activities generating a net profit for the port are to pay an increase of 1%, those close to break-even an increase of 1.5% and those in deficit 2.5%.
A shipping superintendent whose carrier calls at Marseilles explained to Portworld today that the increase in average port dues basically rewards productive companies while the tax cuts would encourage greater volumes for container and ro/ro cargoes.
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