US suspends Chinese vessel port fees for 2 months, will accept public comment
The US Trade Representative (USTR) will take public comment through 30 October and is suspending the implementation of port fees for Chinese vessels by two months as officials from both countries continue to negotiate broader trade issues. The new fees were set to take effect on 10 November after the US and China agreed in ...
The US Trade Representative (USTR) has temporarily halted the implementation of port fees for Chinese vessels for two months, pending further negotiations with Chinese officials. This decision comes as the two countries continue to discuss broader trade issues. The new fees were scheduled to begin on November 10th, after a one-year suspension of reciprocal charges agreed upon in November 2025.
If no agreement is reached, the fees will now start on January 9th. The temporary suspension means that no parties will incur liability for the fees or associated duties during this period. The US had initially targeted fees for Chinese-built ships in October 2025, leading China to introduce similar charges for US vessels entering its ports.
The USTR's proposal, published in February 2025, suggested service fees of up to $1.5 million per US port call for Chinese-built vessels, and up to $1 million per call for Chinese operators. The action was prompted by a Section 301 investigation, which deemed China's trade practices unreasonable and harmful to US commerce. Currently, most liquid bulk ships are built in China, Japan, or South Korea.
While container ships carry polymers, chemicals are often transported in isotanks. Brokers are currently observing the situation before making any firm decisions about the impact on the liquid bulk market and the chemicals industry.
Written by urgent.news from Hellenic Shipping News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.