By / Modern Logistics Reporter Jia Aosheng

On October 10, the Ministry of Transport announced that starting from October 14, 2025, a special port service fee will be imposed on five categories of U.S.-related vessels.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport said in response to a journalist's question that China will resolutely take countermeasures against the U.S. erroneous practices in accordance with the law, promoting the construction of a fair and just international shipping market order, and safeguarding the security and stability of the international logistics supply chain.

(Image source: Ministry of Transport)

Previously, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced that starting from October 14 this year, port service fees will be imposed on vessels owned or operated by Chinese entities, Chinese-flagged vessels, and vessels built in China.

Unilateral sanctions implemented, our countermeasures

According to the official announcement CSMS #66427144 released by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the U.S. will charge $50 per net ton for vessels owned or operated by Chinese entities, which will gradually increase to $140 by 2028; for vessels built in China, the charge will be the higher of $18 per net ton or $120 per container, increasing to $33 and $250 respectively in the future. Car carriers not built in the U.S. are also included in the charging scope, with a rate of $14 per net ton.

(Image source: Xinhua News Agency)

This policy stems from the U.S. Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) initiating a "Section 301 investigation" in 2024, citing reasons such as "addressing unfair competition in China's shipbuilding industry" and "revitalizing the U.S. maritime industry."

According to regulations, ships must complete payment through the Pay.gov platform three business days before arriving in the U.S., otherwise they will face measures such as detention and prohibition of loading/unloading.

The policy has triggered a chain reaction. Shipping advisory firm Alphaliner estimates that the cost of the world's top ten liner companies will increase by $3.2 billion (approximately 22.8 billion RMB) in 2026, with China COSCO Shipping Group alone bearing nearly half of the burden.

Severo, Executive Director of the Los Angeles Port, pointed out that shipping companies are accelerating route adjustments, reducing the use of Chinese-built vessels, but costs will ultimately be passed on to American consumers. Experts from the China Shipowners Association emphasized that this measure is equivalent to imposing an implicit tariff of about 4% on Sino-U.S. trade, possibly pushing up U.S. inflation and exacerbating port congestion.

As a response, the Ministry of Transport of China announced on October 10 that starting from October 14, 2025, a special port service fee will be imposed on five categories of U.S.-related vessels. The Chinese side clearly stated that the U.S. approach "seriously violates principles of international trade and the Sino-U.S. shipping agreement."

China's countermeasures will be implemented in stages: Starting from October 14, 2025, when vessels dock at Chinese ports, a fee of 400 RMB per net ton will be charged; from April 17, 2026, it will be increased to 640 RMB; from April 17, 2027, it will be raised to 880 RMB; and from April 17, 2028, it will reach 1120 RMB.

This countermeasure targets five categories of U.S. affiliated vessels: vessels owned or operated by U.S. entities, vessels owned by enterprises with 25% or more U.S. equity, vessels flying the U.S. flag, and vessels built in the U.S.

U.S. Port Fees May Not Achieve the Dream of Being a Shipbuilding Power

The Trump administration packaged the port fee policy as a solution to "revive the U.S. shipbuilding industry," but data reveal that its industrial difficulties stem from internal contradictions. In 2024, the U.S. commercial ship orders were only 5 ships, while China exceeded 1,500 ships; according to data from the U.S. Naval Institute, the U.S. shipbuilding industry accounts for only 0.13% of global capacity, while China occupies 50% or more of the market share.

The dual disadvantages of cost and efficiency are the core obstacles for the U.S. shipbuilding industry to break through. A report by the U.S. Congress Research Service titled "U.S. Commercial Shipbuilding in a Global Context" shows that the price of newly built ships in the U.S. reaches 4-6 times the international level: for example, a 3,600 TEU container ship costs $333 million (about 2.372 billion RMB) in the U.S., while in China it only costs $55 million (about 392 million RMB).

(Image source: Xinhua News Agency)

Inefficient construction processes further hinder competitiveness - American shipyards consume 40%-60% more labor hours than their peers, and the construction cycle for ocean-going vessels can last 35-42 months.

Deep-seated problems stem from the hollowing out of the supply chain and labor shortages. The domesticization rate of ship equipment in the U.S. is only 41%, with key components relying on imports; policies such as the Jones Act aim to support the domestic industry, but due to isolation from international competition, they lead to technological stagnation and declining production capacity. NATO Secretary General Rutte recently warned that China has far surpassed the U.S. and its Western allies in shipbuilding. The U.S. shipbuilding capacity is only 1/200 of China's, and there are serious delays in delivering military ships, with the industrial base unable to meet strategic needs.

From the current results, the U.S. attempts to reverse its decline by suppressing other countries rather than improving its own shortcomings is like drinking poison to quench thirst. Protectionist policies may alleviate employment pressure in the short term, but in the long run, they will accelerate the hollowing out of the industry. Data show that as of 2024, the U.S. share in the global commercial shipbuilding market was only 0.11%, further shrinking from 0.33% in 2014.

Compared to the vigorous development of China's shipbuilding industry, the short-sightedness of U.S. unilateralism is evident. In the first half of 2025, China's completed shipbuilding volume, new orders, and backlog accounted for 51.7%, 68.3%, and 64.9% of the global total, respectively, maintaining its leading position in the global market.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7559783052080153139/

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