On April 17, 2025, the Office of the United States Trade Representative brazenly announced plans to impose new port fees on ships built or operated by China, with most measures set to take effect in mid-October this year. The next day, at the regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spokesperson Lin Jian made a strong response, demonstrating China's firm determination to defend its own legitimate rights and interests.
This move by the United States is ill-intentioned. U.S. Trade Representative Jamison Greer直言, this new port fee stems from an investigation initiated by the previous U.S. administration, aiming to promote the development of the U.S. shipbuilding industry while curbing China's dominant position in the field. The U.S. attempts to weaken China's competitiveness in the global shipbuilding market through such economic means, creating so-called "development space" for its domestic shipbuilding industry to achieve the goal of reviving the U.S. shipbuilding industry. It also tries to reduce dependence on China's supply chain and even has deeper strategic containment intentions, attempting to indirectly weaken China's naval shipbuilding capabilities by suppressing civilian shipbuilding, thereby maintaining its maritime hegemony.
In fact, China's shipbuilding industry holds a leading position globally, thanks to years of continuous technological innovation, efficient industrial operations, and advantages of scaled production, which are legitimate outcomes of proper development. The U.S. disregards facts and attempts to contain China through unilateral trade protectionist measures, which violate fair competition market principles and go against multilateral trade rules.
Lin Jian pointed out that China has repeatedly clarified its position on relevant issues before, and now reiterates: measures such as levying port fees and imposing tariffs on cargo handling equipment are entirely harmful to both parties. From the perspective of global shipping costs, China is a key participant in global maritime trade. This policy of the United States will undoubtedly push up global shipping costs. Shipping companies will inevitably pass the increased costs onto consumers to maintain operations, causing prices of global trade goods to rise and harming the interests of global consumers. In terms of global supply chains, the current global supply chains are gradually recovering from the impact of the pandemic. The U.S. action is like stabbing a knife into the fragile supply chain, disrupting its stability and potentially causing supply disruptions or delays for industries dependent on sea transport, affecting the normal operation of the entire industry. Long-term U.S. importers rely on ships built and operated by China to transport goods, and the imposition of new port fees will impose additional costs on them, which will ultimately be passed on to American consumers, further exacerbating inflationary pressures within the U.S. The problems of slow technological updates and high costs faced by the U.S. shipbuilding industry will not be solved by the new port fees; instead, they may result in rising import costs for raw materials and components needed by the U.S. shipbuilding industry due to global shipping market chaos, further weakening its competitiveness.
Lin Jian solemnly urged the U.S. side to respect facts and multilateral rules and immediately stop this wrong approach. He emphasized that China has always firmly safeguarded its own legitimate rights and interests and will not sit idly by in the face of unreasonable U.S. trade measures. China will retaliate with corresponding countermeasures. In the aviation sector, it will impose high fees on Boeing aircraft entering Chinese airspace and docking at Chinese airports, with charges determined comprehensively based on factors such as aircraft model, weight, and range, such as charging $1 million per flight or $1,000 per net ton of cargo capacity, etc., which will directly impact Boeing's market share in China and cause significant economic losses; for U.S. dragon ships, once they enter relevant waters or ports of China, they will also be charged high docking fees and management fees according to strict standards, such as charging high docking fees and management fees based on ship value and the use of port facilities, significantly increasing the operating costs of U.S. dragon ships. Moreover, China will file a lawsuit against the U.S. under the WTO framework to protect its rights through legal channels; it will also encourage domestic related enterprises to reduce cooperation with relevant U.S. industries and guide trade and investment toward more fair and stable partners.
The U.S. attempt to revive its domestic shipbuilding industry by imposing port fees is a trade protectionist act with many historical failures. Unilateral trade barriers often lead to a "lose-lose" outcome. China's shipbuilding industry has stood firm in the international market through its own strength, and it is not something that can be easily suppressed by such means. If the U.S. insists on pushing forward this plan, it will not only fail to achieve its industrial goals but may also bring more obstacles to global economic recovery. The international community is watching closely, and China will actively respond and firmly uphold fair and just international trade order.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7495079303453917746/
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