The Trump administration said it will impose port fees on all Chinese-built ships docking at United States ports starting in October. The move comes after an investigation into China’s dominance of the shipbuilding industry.
Chinese ship owners and operators will be charged $50 per ton of cargo, with an increase of $30 a ton each year for the next three years.
Fees for Chinese-built ships are set to start at $18 per ton or $120 per container.
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The Trump administration announced on Thursday, April 17 that it is moving ahead with plans to charge fees for Chinese-built ships at United States ports.
How much are the fees?
Starting in mid-October 2025, Chinese ship owners and operators will be charged $50 per ton of cargo, with the fees increasing each year for the next three years.
There will also be fees on Chinese-built ships, even if they’re not owned or operated by companies in China.
Those fees will start at $18 per ton or $120 per container.
There have been concerns that the measures will disrupt global trade even more amid President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.
However, the fees are less severe than the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) original plan to impose fees based on how many Chinese-built ships are in a fleet or prospective orders of Chinese ships.
Why the fees now?
The fee plan comes about a week after Trump signed an executive order directing National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and the heads of various federal agencies to draw up plans to resurrect domestic shipbuilding and the maritime workforce.
It follows a USTR investigation that began under the Biden administration. The investigation found China’s dominance in the shipbuilding industry is an unreasonable burden restricting U.S. commerce.
What’s China saying?
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the fees will raise prices for American consumers and “will not revitalize the U.S. shipbuilding industry.”
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