Seaway Tolls to Increase by 3% in 2013

Details

Category: Leeds-Grenville, Lanark County & SD&G

Created on Monday, 18 March 2013 11:56

Written by MEDIA RELEASE

Cornwall - The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) announced today that tolls for the 2013 navigation season will increase by 3%. Following a five year freeze on toll rates, the modest increase in tolls underscores the SLSMC’s determination to maintain the positive momentum generated by its market development initiatives.

Over 39 million tonnes of cargo transited the Seaway in 2012, representing a 4% increase in volume.  The increase in tonnage testifies to both the economic recovery taking place within the Seaway’s client base and the emergence of new trade patterns.  “Our carriers are making significant progress in building their share of the cargo market.  The continuation of the Seaway’s existing business incentive programs and the pending introduction of a new Gateway Incentive will serve to extend the marine mode’s competitive position, and generate new business” said Bruce Hodgson, Director of Market Development for the SLSMC.

Terence Bowles, President and CEO of the SLSMC, said: “We continue to invest in the renewal of the Seaway infrastructure so as to provide the high reliability users have become accustomed to. We are also diligently advancing efforts to reduce system costs and bring more cargo into the Seaway. To this end, we are moving forward with testing of our Hands Free Mooring technology, as part of our transit of the future initiative”.

The Great Lakes Seaway System navigation system supports over 227,000 jobs and $35 billion of economic activity annually in the U.S. and Canada.  Since its inception in 1959, more than 2.5 billion tonnes of cargo valued at over $375 billion have moved via the Seaway. The SLSMC remains dedicated to leveraging technology to enhance the Seaway’s performance, promoting the economic and environmental advantages tied to marine transportation, and attracting new cargoes to the Seaway.

Tolls Schedule

In accordance with the St. Lawrence Management Corporation’s (SLSMC’s) Business Plan, the St. Lawrence Seaway Schedule of Tolls was modified in 2013 featuring:

• a modest three percent toll increase;
• a New Business Incentive Program which offers a 20% discount on cargo tolls for three seasons for any commodity/origin/destination combinations approved by the SLSMC as being new business;
• a Volume Rebate Incentive Program, offering a 10% reduction on cargo tolls for the incremental volume increase over the highest volume achieved by a shipper/receiver over the previous 5 years;
• a Service Incentive Program which offers an additional 20% discount on cargo tolls for  new business export cargo for a regular service in the Great Lakes
• the introduction of a new Gateway incentive.

In effort to maintain the momentum underlying the Seaway’s market development initiatives and a five year freeze on toll rates, the SLSMC has decided that there will be a modest 3% toll increase in 2013. In addition, the New Business and Volume incentives will continue to remain in effect.

In February 2011, the Service Incentive Program was launched and will remain effective for the 2013 navigation season.

This year marks the introduction of a new Gateway Incentive that will serve to extend the marine mode’s competitive position.

To learn more about the various incentive programs and the savings they offer, please visit the Incentive Programs page.

For more detailed information, please refer to the St. Lawrence Seaway Schedule of Tolls or send your request to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

2013 Seaway Tolls
(Cargo and Vessel Tolls in Canadian dollars per metric tonne)