A policy to impose surcharges on Chinese-owned/operated and Chinese-built ships calling at U.S. ports is set to take effect on October 14, but the specific implementation details remain unclear.
An industry insider commented: “The policy of the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is simply confusing.”
Nearly six months have passed since the USTR announced on April 14 that it would impose port fees based on its “301 investigation” into China’s dominance in the global shipbuilding industry, but the details of how the fees will actually be implemented have yet to be announced.
According to previous information, a fee of US$50 per net ton will be imposed on Chinese-owned and operated ships starting October 14, 2025, rising to US$140 per net ton by 2028. A fee of US$18 per net ton, or US$120 per container, will be imposed on Chinese-built ships starting October 14, 2025, rising to US$33 per net ton, or US$250 per container by 2028. Each ship will be charged a maximum of five times per year. Currently, 19% of the global fleet is owned by Chinese entities.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has been designated as the agency responsible for collecting the fee. U.S. authorities promised to release a set of frequently asked questions about the fee collection process, but the document has yet to be released.
Lars Jensen of shipping consultancy Verspucci Maritime posted on social media that the industry has inquired with the USTR about the specific implementation of the fees. In response, “USTR responded to some of the agencies that initiated the investigation in a statement, saying: ‘…We are working to provide more clarification on the unresolved issues raised by stakeholders. We are aware of the fees that will take effect on October 14 and are working to release relevant policy information before then’.”
A key point of contention in the industry is whether ships financed through Chinese leasing arrangements will be affected by the new regulations, and how to define whether ships involved in finance leases are subject to the fee. This issue remains “unclear at this time”.
Although the details of the fee implementation are still unclear, some container liner companies have already announced their plans for U.S. routes. Earlier this week, Maersk and CMA CGM announced that they would not impose the USTR surcharge on their U.S. cargo operations.
Non-Chinese shipping companies are adjusting their ship deployments and transferring Chinese-made ships to other routes that do not stop in the United States; Chinese shipping companies COSCO Shipping Lines and Orient Overseas Container Line have both stated that they will continue to be committed to serving customers traveling to and from the U.S. market, but specific plans have not yet been announced.