Donald Trump’s government announced a plan to impose fees on ships manufactured in Chinain an effort to boost the US shipbuilding industry and limit China’s sovereignty in the world shipping industry.
According to the US Commercial Representative (USTR) announcement, the plan is milder than an initial February proposal, which provided up to $ 1.5 million per visit to an American port. The measure concerns owners and Chinese ship owners built in China. These fees will be charged by visit to the US – Not in every American port where they are tied – up to five times per ship a year.
The USTR also provides for the imposition of specific fees for ships carrying vehicles, which will also come into force in 180 days, and for those carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG), but in this case the charges will start in three years and will gradually grow for 22 years. Fees for Chinese shipowners and ship managers built in China will be based on the weight of their cargo, how many containers they carry or the number of vehicles on them.
There are concerns that These measures may further disrupt global tradeespecially in the midst of the existing Trump government’s tariff policies. As Ustr noted, “China has greatly achieved the goals of its sovereignty, seriously reducing US companies, workers and the US economy.”
According to measures, Chinese shipowners and ship managers will initially be charged $ 50 per tonne of load, with an increase of $ 30 per tonne each year for the next three years. The fees for Chinese -made ships They will start from $ 18 per tonne or $ 120 per container and will also increase over the next three years.
The non -American manufacture ships carrying cars will be charged $ 150 per vehicle. The fee will be applied once per trip to the affected ships and not more than five times a year.
Ustr also decided not to impose fees based on how many Chinese ships are available on a fleet or on the basis of future Chinese ship orders, as it originally suggested. Empty ships arriving in US ports are excluded to carry bulk exports, such as carbon or cereals.
Ships moving goods between American ports as well as from these ports to the Caribbean islands and US territories are also excluded from the rules, as well as the American and Canadian ships approaching ports in the large lakes.
The announcement has come as world trade has already been disturbed by Trump’s trade duties, experts said. The cargoes originally intended for US ports from China, instead of redirecting to European ports, said a merchant team. Businesses have warned that this will increase prices for US consumers.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has imposed taxes of up to 145% on imports from China. Other countries are confronted with a general US duty of 10% by July. His government said this week that when new duties are added to existing ones, duties on some Chinese products could reach 245%.
These duties have caused a “significant accumulation” of ships, especially in the European Union, but also “significant congestion” in the ports of the United Kingdom, according to Marco Forgione, General Manager of the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade, transmits BBC. More containers come to the UK, he said. “We have seen many diversions of ships from China, which were to be directed to the US, diverted and come to the United Kingdom and the EU.” In the first three months of 2025, Chinese imports to the United Kingdom increased by about 15% and in the EU by about 12%. “This is an immediate impact on what President Trump makes,” he said, adding that uncertainty and increased disruption are pushing prices for consumers.
Sanne Manders, president of the Supply Flexport Company, told the BBC that both duties and strikes in the ports of the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium during the first three months of the year “blocked” the ports. The congestion in the United Kingdom “is particularly serious in Felixstowe”, while in mainland Europe Rotterdam and Barcelona are “also quite serious”. “I believe that if more loads are going to be launched to Europe, finding new buyers who will raise the volumes even further, this could lead to greater congestion,” he said – although the terminals will be open for more hours a day in the summer due to the best weather conditions. He said loaders are looking for new markets, but that there can also be a wave of goods to the US to try to take advantage of this 90 -day window for goods from some countries. He said in the US consumers would pay for duties, but European consumers would not see a “big impact”. Companies will also probably start redesigning their supply chains, he said.
“Ships and shipping are vital to US economic security and free trade,” US Commercial Representative Jameson Green said in a statement on Thursday (17.4.2025), announcing the new fees of the new fees. “The actions of the Trump government will begin to reverse Chinese sovereignty, face threats to the US supply chain, and send a message of demand for American -made ships,” Green said.
The policy proposal, which began under the Biden government and culminated in January with a report concluding that the Chinese shipbuilding industry has an unfair advantage, would allow the US government to impose high contributions on Chinese ships. The initial proposal provided for the imposition of up to $ 1 million in any Chinese exploitation provider (such as COSCO). The original proposal also stated that for non -Chinese ownership ownership with a fleet containing Chinese -made ships, the service fee would be up to $ 1.5 million for each US port port.
USTR acknowledged that this change was made due to public observations during two -day listeners on fines in March, where more than 300 trade teams and other interested parties were submitted. Many have warned the government by letters and deposits that the US was unable to win a financial war that put in the middle of the Oceanomatoisters using Chinese ships.
Soon, Chinese ships will represent 98% of merchant ships in the world. Shipowners could be eligible to delete fees if they can prove that they have ordered ships in the US. Deleting the fees will be based on pure capacity equal to or less than the net capacity of the ship ordered in the US. “If a candidate for shipowner does not receive the ship ordered in the US within three years, the fees will be immediately demanded,” the report said.
The timetable of the fees
For the first 180 days, the fees will be zero and will be distributed in various categories. All fees are based on the net capacity of a boat. Container ships can range from 50,000 to 220,000 tonnes. Chinese ship operators and shipowners of China ships: with power from April 17, 2025, a fee of $ 0 per clean tone for the incoming ship. From October 14, 2025, a fee of $ 50 per clean tone for the tone ship. Since April 17, 2026, an amount of $ 80 per clean tone for the reach. From April 17, 2027, a fee of $ 110 per net tone for the reach. Since April 17, 2028, a $ 140 dollars per net tone for the reach.
Dominant after World War II, the US shipbuilding industry has gradually declined and today represents only 0.1% of world production. The sector is dominated by Asia, with China constructing almost half of all ships that are launched, in front of South Korea and Japan. These three countries account for more than 95% of the political shipbuilding industry, according to UN data.