US Plans to Levy Port Fees on Chinese Ships

The US-China trade war exacerbates. 

The US reveals plans to revive shipbuilding in the country and challenge China's dominance of the industry. Beginning October 14, 2025, the US will impose port fees on Chinese ship owners and operators of ships built in China. 

For affected bulk vessels, the fee will be based on the weight of their cargo, while the charge for container ships will depend on how many containers a vessel is carrying. Meaning, they will be charged $50 per ton of cargo, with the fees increasing by $30 a ton each year for the next three years. 

Fees on Chinese-built ships will start at $18 a ton or $120 per container and also rise over the next three years. Non-US built ships carrying cars will be charged $150 per vehicle. The fee will be applied once per voyage on affected ships and not more than five times a year. 

The US Trade Representative also decided not to impose fees based on how many Chinese-built ships are in a fleet or based on prospective orders of Chinese ships, as it had originally proposed. 

Empty vessels that arrive at US ports to carry bulk exports like coal or grain are exempted. Vessels that move goods between American ports as well as from those ports to Caribbean islands and US territories are also exempted from rules, as are US and Canadian ships that call at ports in the Great Lakes. 

The fees are much lower than a plan floated in February to charge up to $1.5 million for each American port a Chinese ship visits. 

Furthermore, the USTR said a second phase of actions will begin in three years to favour US-built ships carrying liquified natural gas. These restrictions will rise incrementally over the following 22 years. 

The announcement came as global trade is already being disrupted by US President Donald Trump's raft of tariff policies. 

Ocean shipping transports about 80% of global trade – from food and furniture to cement and coal. Industry executives feared virtually every cargo carrier could face steep, stacking fees that would make US export prices unattractive and foist annual import costs of $30 billion on American consumers.

A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry said the fees will only raise prices for American consumers and "will not revitalise the US shipbuilding industry".