The shipping containers are stacked on a cargo cargo because they are unloaded in Portmiami on April 15, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Joe Raedle | Getty Images
The Trump administration announced Thursday costs On ships built in Chinese, after an investigation into the United States trade representative by Biden-Trump administrations, revealed that China’s acts, policies and practices were unreasonable and burden or restrict American trade.
“Ships and expedition are vital for American economic security and the free movement of trade,” said US trade representative Jamieson Greer. “The actions of the Trump administration will begin to reverse Chinese domination, respond to threats from the American supply chain and send a demand signal for ships built in the United States.”
The USTR said that China has largely reached its domination thanks to its increasingly aggressive and specific targeting of these sectors, seriously disadvantage American businesses, workers and the American economy.
The costs will be billed once by travel and not by port, as initially proposed.
The political proposal, started under the Biden administration and culminating in a January report, concluded Chinese naval construction industry, there was an unjust advantage, would allow the United States government to impose strong levies on Chinese manufacturing ships arriving in American ports.
The initial proposal provided for service costs of up to $ 1 million to be billed on each operator belonging to Chinese (like Cosco). The initial proposal also said that for non -Chinese ocean carriers with fleets containing Chinese construction ships, service fees would cost up to 1.5 million dollars for each American stopover port.
The USTR recognized that this change had been made due to the comments of the public during the two days of the hearings on the fines in March where more than 300 commercial groups and other interested parties testified. Many have warned the government in letters and testimony that the United States was unable to win an economic war that placed ocean carriers using Chinese manufacturing ships in the middle. Soon, Chinese manufacturing ships will represent 98% of commercial ships on the world’s oceans.
The owners of ships could be eligible for a remission of the costs if they can provide proof of an American naval construction prescription. Remission of costs would be based on a clear capacity for a tonnage of equal to or less than the ship built in the United States. “If a potential ship owner does not take delivery of the ship built by the United States ordered within three years, the costs will become immediately,” said the report.
On Friday, in a statement, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce called on the United States to stop the “blame for change” and to correct its “bad” practice as soon as possible, according to a report by Reuters.
“China will closely monitor the relevant developments on the American side and resolutely take the necessary measures to protect its own interests,” said the press release.
The World Shipping Council also published a statement on Friday detailing “serious concerns” on shipping costs, calling the move “a step in the wrong direction”.
“The WSC urges the administration to reconsider this counterproductive measure, which risks harming American consumers, manufacturers and farmers without providing significant progress towards the revitalization of the American maritime industry,” he said.
Expense calendar
During the first 180 days, the costs would be set at zero and will be broken down into different categories. All costs are based on the net tonnage of a ship. Container ships can vary from 50,000 to 220,000 tonnes.
Service costs on Chinese ship operators and owners of China ships:
- As of April 17, 2025, costs up $ 0 per net tonne for the ship arriving.
- As of October 14, 2025, costs up $ 50 per net tonne for the ship arriving.
- As of April 17, 2026, costs up $ 80 per net tonne for the ship arriving.
- As of April 17, 2027, costs up $ 110 per net tonne for the ship arriving.
- As of April 17, 2028, costs up $ 140 per net tonne for the ship arriving.
The fees will be billed up to five times a year, per ship. The register did not break the price by container.
Service costs on ships of ships built in Chinese are lower.
- In force from: April 17, 2025, costs up $ 0 for each container discharged.
- As of October 14, 2025, costs up $ 18 per tonne tonne ($ 120 per container)
- As of April 17, 2026, costs up $ 23 per net tonne ($ 153 per container)
- As of April 17, 2027, costs up $ 28 per tonne net ($ 195 per container)
- As of April 17, 2028, costs up $ 33 per tonne tonne ($ 250 per container).
The fees will be billed up to five times a year, per ship.
The fees on car transport ships built abroad will also be based on their capacity. The costs would start at $ 150 per equivalent unit (CEU) by car in 180 days.
The second phase actions will not start for three years and target LNG ships. The USTR would limit restrictions on the transport of LNG via foreign ships. These restrictions will gradually increase over 22 years.
Oceanic carriers if they provide proof of ordering a ship built by the United States, the costs or restrictions on an equivalent ship not built by US are suspended up to three years. ·
The costs of ships built in Chinese do not effectively cover the Great Lakes or the Caribbean expedition, shipping to and from the American territories.
Bulk exports like coal or cereals will be exempt, as well as empty ships arriving in the ports.
