The US government confirmed last week that it will be introducing additional port fees for Chinese owned or built cargo ships arriving at its ports from October.
The fees are aimed at bucking the current trend to use Chinese shipyards to build new container ships, with over 50% of new build orders being secured by China in the past few years.
We understand the fees will be a price per net tonnage on any cargo that is unloaded or loaded at US Ports. The fees will be invoiced to the ship owner or carrier and are due to rise incrementally until 2028.
The automobile industry has also been targeted, with fees being introduced for all foreign built car carriers, not just Chinese.
Fees for Chinese owned carriers:
From October 2025: $50.00 per net tonne.
From April 2028: $140.00 per net tonne.
Fees for Ships built in China:
From October 2025: $18.00 per tonne, minimum $120.00 per container
From April 2028: $33.00 per tonne, minimum $250.00 per container.
Fees For Foreign Built Car Carriers will be:
From October 2025: A fee of $150 per Car Equivalent Unit (CEU) will be applied.
The announcement of these fees has not gone down well with global carriers, businesses, trade bodies and supply chain stakeholders, with many raising concerns about the implications.
Global Freight Services is monitoring developments closely. For further information, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the team.
