In a bid to revive the struggling shipbuilding industry and curb China's maritime transportation, the U.S. will impose high port fees.

In the midst of escalating trade conflicts between China and the U.S., in addition to imposing high tariffs on China, the U.S. has now turned its attention to the maritime sector, preparing to impose high port fees on ships owned or operated by Chinese entities.

The U.S. plans to charge $50 per net ton for each voyage made by ships operated or owned by China, with an additional increase of $30 per net ton every year over the next three years.

This is a high port fee plan targeting ships manufactured and operated in China, announced by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on April 18, which will take effect six months after its announcement.

The high port fees are clearly aimed at Chinese shipbuilders and carriers.

Because even if the ship is not built in China, as long as the owner or operator is a Chinese company, it will fall within the scope of taxation, with a maximum of five charges per ship per year.

However, for ships built in China but not operated by China, charges will be based solely on net tonnage or container numbers, at $18 per net ton, far less than the $50 for ships built and operated by China, with an annual increase of $5 over the next three years.

In addition, the U.S. has also established specific fee standards for ships transporting vehicles, which will come into effect 180 days later. Ships transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) will begin to be charged related fees three years later, with the fees gradually increasing over 22 years.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at Friday's press conference: "These measures have driven up global shipping costs, disrupted the stability of global supply chains, and exacerbated inflationary pressures in the U.S."

This scheme from the Trump administration is actually a continuation of the Biden administration's policies. Former President Biden commissioned the U.S. Trade Representative in 2024 to investigate "China's dominance in the shipbuilding, maritime transportation, and logistics sectors." Therefore, the recently announced high port fee plan aims to curb China's dominant position in the maritime sector and revitalize its domestic shipbuilding industry.

After World War II, the U.S. shipbuilding industry once held a dominant position, but it has gradually declined and now accounts for only 0.1% of the global shipbuilding industry. This industry is currently dominated by China, which builds about 75% to 80% of the world's merchant ships.

According to data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), China, South Korea, and Japan together account for more than 95% of the world's civilian shipbuilding.

It is reported that this port fee plan will directly affect China Ocean Shipping Group (COSCO), one of China's largest maritime and logistics giants. By volume, COSCO is currently the world's largest shipping company.

Source: rfi

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1829742365053964/

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