US lays out plans to hit Chinese ships with port fees

The US has revealed plans to impose port charges on Chinese language ships to attempt to revive shipbuilding within the US and problem China’s dominance of the trade.

From mid-October, Chinese language ship house owners and operators will probably be charged $50 per ton of cargo with the charges rising annually for the subsequent three years.

There have been considerations that the measures would additional disrupt world commerce after US President Donald Trump’s raft of tariff insurance policies, however the payment is much less extreme than initially instructed.

In line with state media, China’s international ministry spokesperson mentioned the charges will increase costs for US shoppers “with out revitalizing the US shipbuilding trade”.

The US Commerce Consultant (USTR) mentioned: “China has largely achieved its dominance objectives, severely disadvantaging US corporations, employees, and the US economic system”.

Charges on Chinese language vessel house owners and operators of ships inbuilt China will probably be primarily based on the burden of their cargo, what number of containers they carry or the variety of autos onboard.

For affected bulk vessels, the payment will probably be primarily based on the burden of their cargo, whereas the cost for container ships will rely on what number of containers a vessel is carrying.

The $50 per ton of cargo will rise by $30 a ton annually for the subsequent three years. Charges on Chinese language-built ships will begin at $18 a ton or $120 per container and in addition rise over the subsequent three years.

Non-US constructed ships carrying vehicles will probably be charged $150 per car.

The payment will probably be utilized as soon as per voyage on affected ships and less than 5 occasions a yr.

The USTR additionally determined to not impose charges primarily based on what number of Chinese language-built ships are in a fleet or primarily based on potential orders of Chinese language ships, because it had initially proposed.

Empty vessels that arrive at US ports to hold bulk exports like coal or grain are exempted.

Vessels that transfer items between American ports in addition to from these ports to Caribbean islands and US territories are additionally exempted from guidelines, as are US and Canadian ships that decision at ports within the Nice Lakes.

The charges are a lot decrease than a plan floated in February to cost as much as $1.5m (£1.1m) for every American port a Chinese language ship visits.

The USTR mentioned a second part of actions will start in three years to favour US-built ships carrying liquified pure gasoline (LNG). These restrictions will rise incrementally over the next 22 years.

The announcement got here as world commerce is already being disrupted by Trump’s commerce tariffs, specialists have mentioned.

Cargoes initially destined for ports within the US from China are as a substitute being redirected to European ports, a commerce group mentioned.

Companies have warned this can increase costs for US shoppers.

Since returning to the White Home in January, Trump has imposed taxes of as much as 145% on imports from China. Different international locations are going through a blanket US tariff of 10% till July.

His administration mentioned this week that when the brand new tariffs are added on to present ones, the levies on some Chinese language items might attain 245%.

These tariffs have induced “important construct ups” of ships, particularly within the European Union, but additionally “important congestion” at UK ports, in accordance with Marco Forgione, director basic of the Chartered Institute of Export & Worldwide Commerce.

Extra containers are coming to the UK, he mentioned.

“We have seen a variety of diversion of ships from China, that had been attributable to head to the US, diverting and coming to the UK and into the EU.”

Within the first three months of 2025, Chinese language imports into the UK have elevated by about 15% and into the EU by about 12%.

“That is a direct affect of what President Trump is doing,” he mentioned, including that uncertainty and elevated disruption pushes up costs for shoppers.

Sanne Manders, president of logistics agency Flexport, mentioned each tariffs and strikes at ports within the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium within the first three months of the yr had been “clogging” ports.

Congestion within the UK “is especially extreme in Felixstowe”, whereas in continental Europe Rotterdam and Barcelona are “additionally fairly extreme”.

“I do imagine that if extra cargo goes to be routed in the direction of Europe, discovering new consumers that can drive up the volumes even additional, that might result in extra congestion,” he mentioned – though terminals could be open for extra hours per day in the summertime attributable to higher climate.

He mentioned shippers had been in search of new markets, however that additionally there could also be a surge of products to the US to attempt to benefit from that 90-day window for items from some international locations.

He mentioned within the US, shoppers would pay for the tariffs, however European shoppers wouldn’t see “a lot affect”.

Corporations would additionally most likely begin redesigning their provide chains, he mentioned.