Egypt raised the fees paid by ships passing through the Suez Canal by three to five percent on Wednesday depending on the types and tonnage of vessels on Wednesday.

The current fees are five percent on oil tankers and petrochemical products, two percent for container ships and car carriers and three percent for other types of ships.

Suez Canal tolls, a major source of foreign currency to Egypt, were raised last year by three percent for all ships.

The Suez Canal Authority's decision to raise tolls was taken after studies into maritime traffic and the rates of global economic growth, reported the Middle East News Agency.

Suez Canal's revenues during 2012 reached $5.1 bn. after 17,252 vessels had passed through the channel with cargo weighing over 932 million tons.