【By Guan察者网, Liu Bai】In response to the U.S. government's so-called port "service fee" policy targeting Chinese vessels, global shipping giant Maersk emphasized that the company has the capability to hedge against the policy's impact and will not stop purchasing Chinese ships.
According to a report by Hong Kong-based English media South China Morning Post on July 17, Silvia Ding, President of Maersk Greater China, stated on the 16th that when ordering new ships, Maersk considers various factors including cost and technical requirements, but will not increase customer prices due to U.S. port fees, nor will it exclude Chinese shipyards, which reflects "continued confidence and commitment to the Chinese market."
The report said that the Trump administration's policy of imposing high port fees on Chinese-made or operated vessels has placed the shipping industry in a difficult position: either remove Chinese vessels from the fleet or bear sharply rising costs. Now, Maersk's statement further casts doubt on whether the United States can curb China's dominant position in shipbuilding.
Ding made these remarks while attending the third Chain Expo in Beijing. She told the South China Morning Post, "About 10% of the vessels in Maersk's fleet may need to pay port fees, but we can avoid additional costs by adjusting the ships."
She added that when ordering new ships, Maersk considers various factors, including cost and technical requirements.
June 20, Shanghai, the first 16,000 TEU methanol dual-fuel container ship built domestically was delivered. Visual China
The recent months have seen turbulence in the shipping industry due to the Sino-U.S. tariff conflict. In April, the United States and China imposed triple-digit tariffs on each other's goods, leading to a significant drop in demand for container shipping. China's exports to the U.S. fell by 21% year-on-year in April, and the decline widened to 34.5% in May.
With the agreement reached between the U.S. and China in May to suspend tariff increases for 90 days, the volume of cargo transportation surged.
Ding said, "Despite the sharp fluctuations in freight volume in the first half of the year, our global shipping network is flexible enough to help customers cope with market volatility. Our network layout has not changed, and we only adjust ship tonnage to match changing demand."
She added that market instability has also forced shipping companies to intensify their efforts to provide end-to-end logistics services, integrating railway, sea transport, warehousing, and road transport.
Maersk's flagship warehouse in Lingang, Shanghai, is expected to be operational this fourth quarter. The logistics center, which has an investment of $174 million and covers 14,700 square meters, will handle import and export business and operate as a regional distribution center.
"This reflects our continued confidence and commitment to the Chinese market," said Ding.
The report said that from Ding's remarks, this port fee policy set to take effect in October may not have a major impact as some had initially thought.
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), another global shipping giant based in Switzerland, also said that thanks to the new east-west route network launched in February, the company has been able to cope with market chaos.
MSC stated that the network no longer uses the alliance model, but is independently operated, offering high flexibility and enabling the company to quickly respond to market changes.
In February, the U.S. Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) proposed charging fees for Chinese-built vessels entering U.S. ports. In April, the USTR published a Federal Register notice stating that all vessels built in China and owned by Chinese entities, if they dock at U.S. ports, will be charged fees based on the number of goods they carry. The related fee measures will be implemented after 180 days, in two phases.
According to the detailed fee rules announced in the notice, in the first phase, starting on October 14 this year, the U.S. will charge a so-called "maritime service fee" of $50 per net ton for any vessel operated by Chinese operators or owned by Chinese entities. This amount will increase by $30 annually for three years, reaching $140 per net ton in 2028.
The South China Morning Post pointed out that the U.S. government is trying to force companies to build ships in the U.S. and stop using Chinese ships through port fees and a package of tariffs on Chinese-made equipment. However, it remains unclear whether these measures will be effective in practice, as recent data and corporate statements released by the industry have sent mixed signals.
Since the announcement of the port fee plan in February, due to strong opposition from shipping companies and industry organizations, U.S. officials have made multiple revisions to the proposal.
Another shipping company's market representative said during the Chain Expo that due to the recent series of policy reversals by the U.S. government, there are still doubts about how the port fees will be implemented. He said that the company's clients are currently more concerned about the U.S. tariff issue rather than the port fees, as tariffs pose a more direct threat to businesses.
Marie-Caroline Laurent, Senior Vice President of MSC, said last month that China has the technology and ability. Even if the U.S. is determined to challenge China's dominant position in the global shipbuilding industry, the port fees it imposes will not hinder shipowners from ordering more new ships from China.
Laurent bluntly stated, "I am glad to see the U.S. trying to revitalize its shipbuilding industry, but 'with the trend of energy transition, we need new ships.'"
To address global warming, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) of the United Nations has clearly outlined a strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ships, aiming to achieve net-zero emissions in the global shipping industry around 2050. This has prompted companies to accelerate investments in decarbonization technologies such as green fuels, driving a significant increase in new ship orders. From 8.2% in 2016, new ship orders rose sharply to 41% in 2024.
China has taken on over 70% of the global green ship orders, covering LNG dual-fuel, methanol dual-fuel, ammonia fuel ships, and battery hybrid power ships, achieving full coverage of mainstream ship types and new fuels. In contrast, South Korea's orders are concentrated in LNG dual-fuel ships, with a single variety.
"Now, most of these ships are built in China," said Laurent. "They have the technology and the capacity, which is why we will continue to build new ships in China today."
Regarding the U.S. pressure on Chinese-built vessels, on April 10, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, responded at a regular press conference, stating that the development of China's shipbuilding industry is the result of enterprise technological innovation and active participation in market competition, making important contributions to helping global trade development and ensuring the stability and safety of the global supply chain.
Several U.S. research reports show that the U.S. shipbuilding industry lost its competitive edge many years ago due to excessive protectionism. The U.S. blaming China for its own problems lacks factual basis and contradicts economic common sense.
The U.S. unilateralist and protectionist approach is unpopular, and it only increases global shipping costs, disrupts the stability of the global production and supply chains, harms the interests of countries around the world, and ultimately fails to revitalize the U.S. shipbuilding industry.
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