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Timely insights from the Economy, Strategy & Finance Center
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has revealed plans to impose port fees on Chinese owned or operated vessels, and Chinese-built ships. These fees will begin on October 14, 2025, and increase incrementally over a three-year period until April 17, 2028.
Fees will escalate: The initial charge will be $50 per ton of cargo. The fee will then escalate by $30 per year over three years. Besides weight, levies can also be determined by how many containers are carried or the number of automobiles that are on board a ship. Non-US built ships moving vehicles will be charged $150 per automobile.
In addition, a second phase of action will commence in 2028 restricting some transport of liquified natural gas (LNG) via foreign vessels. These are scaled back from the original proposed fees, which were estimated to be up to $1.5 million for each Chinese ship docking in a US port.
Parallel proposal for port equipment: USTR is also seeking comment on proposed 100% tariffs on US imports of ship-to-shore cranes and other port equipment that are manufactured in China or with Chinese components. These would be largely paid by US port developers and operators. (Public comment is due May 19, 2025.)
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