According to the South China Morning Post on October 21, a new round of confrontation between China and the United States over port fees is escalating.

The reason is that the United States imposes additional port fees on ships built, operated, or owned by China when they dock at U.S. ports.

Subsequently, China responded quickly, imposing additional fees on ships with American backgrounds as a countermeasure.

However, China provided an exemption option: ships built by Chinese shipyards will be exempt from port fees in Chinese ports.

This means that China's policy design is more precise, with both retaliatory strength and positive incentives for choosing Chinese shipping industry chains.

This is another short-range clash between China and the United States, entering a new arena, but the outside world generally believes that the United States cannot gain any advantage, while China can further expand its own advantages.

Shipyard

From the perspective of industrial structure, China has the most complete and coordinated shipbuilding supply chain in the world, covering raw materials, design, main equipment, outfitting systems, and environmental protection technology, almost all of which are domestically produced.

Even if the United States brings its allies together, it cannot shake China's position in the shipbuilding industry.

In addition, green shipping is one of the most important trends today.

New regulations by the International Maritime Organization require all new ships to use low-carbon or zero-carbon fuels in the future, and China has already started mass production of green ship types such as LNG-powered and methanol-powered vessels.

Enterprises such as Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, Jiangnan Shipbuilding, and Dalian Shipbuilding have also made early preparations for advanced technologies such as ammonia fuel and autonomous driving. Many European and American shipowners have signed strategic fleet upgrade agreements for the next five to ten years with them.

This means that once customers choose Chinese shipyards, they will gain long-term technical support and delivery assurance.

Moreover, Chinese shipbuilding companies are generally closely aligned with policies, and the Chinese exemption of port fees for Chinese-built ships also becomes a new industry incentive in an invisible way.

This not only stabilizes old customers, but also attracts more neutral country customers to vote with real money.

Shipyard

The leading advantage of China may not be directly felt by those who are not familiar with it. Below are some specific explanations.

Data shows that China completed 53.8% of the global new ship deliveries in 2024, secured 67.3% of the global new orders, and held 65.2% of the ongoing orders.

In simple terms, for every three ships built worldwide, two are made in China.

China's largest shipbuilding group, China State Shipbuilding Corporation, delivers ship tonnage annually exceeding the total of shipbuilding powerhouses such as Japan, South Korea, and Germany. It is equivalent to one group surpassing multiple shipbuilding powers.

Moreover, some large Chinese shipyards can simultaneously build dozens of the same model of green-powered ships, with the design and construction period not exceeding one year, while similar orders at South Korean shipyards often take over 20 months.

In terms of price, China is generally 10%-20% cheaper, delivers faster, and offers more stable after-sales service, leaving customers no incentive to switch factories.

Shipyard

By contrast, the United States' practice of imposing additional port fees was originally intended to compress China's influence in global shipping through tough measures, but instead became a typical self-harming operation.

It seriously misjudged the proportion and irreplaceability of China's shipbuilding in the global market. Meanwhile, the United States itself lacks large-scale commercial shipbuilding capabilities, and its shipping companies mostly use ships built in China, even European allies are placing large orders with Chinese shipyards.

Therefore, the additional port fees actually punish themselves and their allies.

China's precise countermeasures effectively reward customers who continue to order ships from China. This not only prevents orders from flowing out of China, but also creates a new incentive for continuing to use Chinese shipbuilding to save money, serving as a classic textbook case of diplomatic countermeasures.

Due to the mutual imposition of fees by China and the United States, many transoceanic routes have been forced to change ports and adjust vessels, causing increases in scheduling costs, insurance rates, and loading/unloading arrangements, ultimately pushing up global freight prices. The final consequence of increased transportation costs for all goods will be borne by American consumers.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7563888422269403689/

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