The Coast Guard announced in the Federal Register the establishment of new base pilotage rates for the 2023 shipping season. This rule will adjust the pilotage rates to account for changes in district operating expenses, an increase in the number of pilots, and anticipated inflation. These changes, when combined, result in a 16-percent net increase in pilotage costs compared to the 2022 season. Maritime Magazine reports that “Marine industry stakeholders in Canada and the United States have strongly condemned the “excessive escalation” of the pilotage rates set by the U.S. Coast Guard for oceangoing vessels transiting the American waters of the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway system during the 2023 navigation season.”
