The German Federal Government has decided to waive traffic dues till end-2020.

"Caused by the Corona crisis, the maritime economy is under massive cost pressure and traffic on the Kiel Canal is experiencing an unprecedented decline," Jens Broder Knudsen, Chairman, Initiative Kiel-Canal, a campaign for maintaining the function and future viability of the canal, commented.

"This decline is mainly based on the currently historically low bunker prices, which would lead to a considerable competitive disadvantage for the Kiel Canal compared to the detour around Skagen. The route around Denmark is longer and less environmentally friendly, but is free of traffic dues," Initiative Kiel-Canal wrote in a press release.

The organization also said, "[…] it would now be necessary to check whether the temporary suspension of the levies is sufficient or whether a permanent suspension would be the better solution for the economy as a whole."

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