【By Observer News, Wang Yi】In response to the U.S. arbitrary imposition of port fees on Chinese vessels, China officially began charging special port fees on U.S. vessels starting October 14.

According to a report by Hong Kong's South China Morning Post on October 17, it was reported that the "Manukai" container ship of American Matson Shipping Company has become the first to "suffer". At the same time, shipping companies are quickly adjusting their routes and restructuring their enterprises to avoid potential losses.

Ship tracking data shows that the "Manukai" vessel arrived in Ningbo on the 13th, unloaded cargo on the day the special port fee took effect in China, and was charged 4.46 million yuan in fees, then left for Shanghai. This incident has not yet been officially confirmed by Ningbo Port or the government. However, due to the ship's berthing time, tonnage, and operational background matching the policy implementation details, the industry generally believes this is the first case of penalty after the implementation of China's special port fee.

The "Manukai" container ship of American Matson Shipping Company. American Matson Shipping Company official website

This port fee dispute was initiated by U.S. President Trump. After he decided to impose charges on Chinese and Chinese-built vessels docking at U.S. ports, China announced that it would charge special port fees on vessels involving U.S. flags, U.S.-built, owned, invested in, or operated by U.S. companies.

"Politico" Europe edition reported on the 14th that the fees came into effect on the 14th. The U.S. charges $50 per net ton, while China initially charges 400 RMB per net ton, with plans to increase it to 1,120 RMB per net ton by 2028. Both fees are charged per voyage, with a maximum of five times per year.

According to calculations by the authoritative global shipping media "Lloyd's List", the cost for a 35,000-ton automobile carrier to dock at a U.S. port once a year would be 5.6 million U.S. dollars. Since Chinese ports usually serve large bulk carriers with tonnages up to 200,000 tons or more, the costs involved may be higher.

James Lightbourn, head of Cavalier Shipping, an American maritime advisory company, analyzed that the impact of U.S. port fees is limited. He pointed out that in 2024, a total of 85,735 ships worldwide docked at ports, of which only 254 were within the U.S. fee range. Philip Damas, head of Drury Supply Chain Advisors, estimated that only about 11% of container ships returning to the U.S. would be affected.

In contrast, China's countermeasures have a broader impact. Lightbourn said that due to the complex and often deliberately opaque equity structure of most shipping companies, the full extent of the impact is currently difficult to measure. Initially, the focus is on listed companies, but many European shipping companies may also be privately held by U.S. funds.

A European shipping representative who did not want to reveal his name said that China is actually exerting pressure on shareholders. Many companies are listed on global exchanges, and there may be U.S. investors. Therefore, although the two policies seem similar, the actual impact of China's measures may be greater.

The South China Morning Post reported that shipping companies have been trying to alleviate the impact of the new regulations through board adjustments. On the 13th, the U.S.-listed oil tanker owner Okeanis Eco Tankers issued a statement saying that two directors, Robert Knapp and Joshua Nemser, had decided to resign.

The statement did not disclose the nationality of Knapp and Nemser or the reasons for their resignation, but stated that their resignation was not due to any disagreement with the company or its management. International shipping media "TradeWinds" believes that their resignation was to help the company avoid Chinese port fees.

At the same time, the Hong Kong-listed dry bulk shipping company Pacific Basin Shipping announced on the 13th that its non-executive director Zhang Richi had resigned, effective from October 13, 2025. The company stated that Mr. Zhang believed, and the board agreed, that his resignation would help the company change the composition of the board to reduce the potential restrictions imposed by the U.S. Trade Representative Office (USTR) 301 investigation on port fees for vessels owned or operated by China.

Additionally, world shipping giants Denmark's Maersk Group and Germany's Hapag-Lloyd have taken action, rerouting two U.S.-flagged vessels away from Chinese ports. Hapag-Lloyd canceled the scheduled stop in Ningbo for one of its container ships and redirected it to Busan, South Korea.

Maersk also said that goods originally destined for or stopping in Ningbo will be unloaded in Busan and then transported to the final destination via the company's shipping network. Export goods originally scheduled to pass through Ningbo to the United States will be transferred to other vessels and transshipped in South Korea. It is reported that the affected vessels were built in South Korea, not China, so they did not enjoy exemption from Chinese port fees.

On October 14, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce of China answered questions regarding the U.S. implementation of 301 investigation restrictions on the shipbuilding and related industries of China.

The spokesperson stated that the U.S. measures are a typical example of unilateralism and protectionism, seriously violating World Trade Organization rules, and going against the principle of equality and reciprocity in the "Sino-U.S. Maritime Agreement". These measures grant unfair competitive advantages to relevant countries' shipping and shipbuilding enterprises, constitute discriminatory practices against China's shipping and shipbuilding industries, and severely harm China's relevant industries. China is strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposes these measures, and announced on October 10 that it would charge special port fees on vessels involving U.S. flags, U.S.-built, owned, invested in, or operated by U.S. companies.

The spokesperson emphasized that China's position on the relevant issues is clear and consistent. If you fight, we will follow you all the way; if you talk, the door is open. China urges the U.S. to correct its wrong approach and work together with China to resolve the concerns of both sides through equal dialogue and consultation.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7562190646178873891/

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