The implementation of Mexico's $42 cruise passenger tax has been delayed by six months, according to a statement from the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA).
The tax is now slated to take effect July 1, the FCCA said. The tax has long been charged to Mexico visitors, but cruisers had been exempt since they overnight on ships. The government has said removing the exemption would treat foreigners who enter the country by air and sea equally.
Cruise industry groups have decried the increase.
The FCCA said the postponement came after a meeting between the FCCA and Mexican government officials. Though the delay provides a "temporary reprieve," the FCCA added that "more comprehensive measures" were needed to address concerns about the tax's impact on cruise tourism.
The FCCA has contended that the fee increase will prompt cruise lines to position ships away from Mexico. "Cruise lines are already actively considering significantly altering itineraries," FCCA chief Michele Paige said last week in a letter to Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum.