US contemplates major port fees for Chinese-built ships

The Trump administration’s announcements affecting international trade just keep coming.

Last week, following an investigation into what was concluded to be unfair Chinese state support of maritime supply chains, US trade representative Jamieson Greer proposed fees for China-built ships calling at US ports, a move that could reshape global shipping.

With our portfolio of international ocean freight operations to and from the USA, which include LCL and FCL import and export operations, this was interesting news for the U-Freight Group and we will monitor the situation and advise customers of further developments.

Under the proposal, Chinese-owned ships would be charged up to USD1.0 million per port call, while Chinese-built vessels could face fees as high as USD1.5 million. The proposed fees also target companies with Chinese shipbuilding orders. Operators with at least 50% of their new vessel orders in China could be charged an additional USD1.0 million per US port call.

All of this would be irrespective of the vessel’s flag, or the nationality of its operator.

If enacted, the proposals are likely to affect a huge part of the world’s container fleet.

Analysts warn that the plan could disrupt supply chains and drive up shipping costs, especially if carriers were to introduce surcharges to cover the new fees.

Two excellent articles on the matter can be read in the following links:

https://theloadstar.com/up-to-1-5m-fee-for-every-chinese-built-box-ship-calling-at-a-us-port/

https://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/u.s_contemplates_major_port_fees_for_chinese_built_ships?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=twil&oly_enc_id=7676A3153945F3R

For more information about our ocean freight forwarding and logistics services, please visit the relevant pages of this website, or contact your local office, which can be seen here: https://ufreight.com/locations