The Trump administration could scale back plans to assess massive fees on Chinese ships calling U.S. ports.
The White House and the United States trade representative, which first proposed the fees, are considering a revised plan that would charge less for operators of smaller ships, as well as vessels carrying agricultural and other bulk exports.
Shippers, importers and other maritime stakeholders voiced opposition to the fees in USTR hearings held in March, saying the fees of as much as $1.5 million per ship per call were not economically viable and could force smaller carriers out of the business. They said secondary ports were at risk, since carriers were likely to skip those calls rather than pay the fees, leading to congestion at major container gateways.
A 2024 investigation by the USTR found China leveraged unfair trade practices in the maritime industry. The fees are meant to blunt its growing dominance of global shipping and shipbuilding.
The reset was first reported by Reuters.
Other options included adjusted fees for carriers based on the number of Chinese-built ships in their fleets.
Under consideration is a charge based on the light, or unloaded, tonnage of vessels instead of a flat fee, aimed at smaller vessels that haul grain or other export commodities.
Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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