Key Points from the Revised Proposal:
✅ New Fees for Operating Chinese vessel (irrespective of where they were built):
Starting October 2025, Chinese vessel operators must pay $50 per net ton (NT), gradually increasing to $140 by April 2028.
👉 Previously proposed: $1,000/NT, capped at $1 million.
✅ Fees for Chinese-Built Vessels Calling at U.S. Ports:
Applies the higher of either $18/NT or $120 per container discharged—rising to $33/NT or $250 per container by 2028.
👉 Originally a flat fee of $1.5 million per port call in the U.S.
Non-US-built ships carrying cars will be charged $150 per vehicle. LNG carriers are required to move 1% of US LNG exports on US-built, operated and flagged vessels within four years. That percentage would rise to 4% by 2035 and to 15% by 2047.
✅ New import tariffs proposed:
Tariffs of 20–100% on Chinese-made ship-to-shore gantry cranes, containers, and chassis.
✅ Exemptions and Reductions:
Some types of ships will be exempt or subject to reduced fees, including:
- Small ships, domestic ships, and those operating in the Caribbean and Great Lakes.
- Empty vessels used to transport export goods like wheat and soybeans.
- Container ships under 4,000 TEU and trips under 2,000 nautical miles.
Impact on the Shipping Market:
- COSCO & OOCL – Hit the Hardest: These two carriers have extensive Chinese-linked fleets. Expect network restructuring within the Ocean Alliance, with CMA CGM and Evergreen taking on more U.S.-bound services.
- Fleet Repositioning Trend:
Carriers are likely to reallocate Chinese-built vessels to other trade lanes to minimize the impact of the new rules.
Will these shifts affect global carrier rankings? Stay tuned for the next updates!
📎 Link to the full USTR proposal: ustr.gov/sites/default/files/files/Press/Releases/2025/301 Ships – Action FRN 4-17.pdf
