New US Port Fees For Chinese Vessels, What’s Ahead?

Starting from October 14, 2025, the newly introduced US port fees will go into effect. These are the important highlights of the fees that every shipper should be aware of!

What Are US “Port Fees”: The Trump Administration came up with a Port Fees’ proposal on February 21, 2025 that exclusively targeted Chinese shipping operators and Chinese-built vessels and fleets with a new regime of port fees. On April 14, 2025, after several months of deliberation, the USTR released a newly revised port fee structure expected to go into effect on October 14, 2025.

The Details of the Newly Released US Port Fees: Starting from October 14, 2025, the Office of the US Trade Representative (“USTR”) expects the following US port fees, categorized under four annexes, to go into effect: Annex I – Fee on Chinese vessel operators and vessel owners; Annex II – Fee on Chinese-built vessels; Annex III – Fee on foreign-built vehicle carrier; and Annex IV – Restriction on LNG exports.

What Has Changed about the Previously Proposed Rules? There are some changes to the rules initially proposed on February 21, 2025, and these include useful information about fee exemptions, elimination of US port fees on newbuilding orders from Chinese shipyards, requesting only US-vessels be used in transporting LNG exports, and calculating fees based on tonnage rather than per vessel.

Some Uncertainties Ahead: Some challenges and unanswered questions about the US port fees’ implementation remain. For example, it is not clearly defined when there is a Chinese “operator” in case vessels change hands. Moreover, who is the “owner” in a Chinese lease financing? Because such financial loans will be repaid in the course of time and the original owners cannot be considered Chinese if they are not.

How the New US Port Fees Can Change the Market Dynamics?: Maritime experts project that the full implementation of the newly introduced US port fees will cause a tsunami in the global shipping operations. For instance, it will intensify the existing trade tension between the US and China, spilling to other nations that are their trade partners. This may lead to a sharp reduction in US port calls.

What Are the US “Port Fees”?

The Trump Administration came up with a Port Fees proposal on February 21, 2025, that exclusively targeted Chinese shipping operators and Chinese-built vessels and fleets with a new regime of port fees. In the proposal, the Office of the US Trade Representative (“USTR”) recommended the following port fees:

Fees on Chinese operators – At a rate of up to (a) US$1m; or (b) US$1,000 per net ton of the vessel’s capacity, assessed on the vessel’s entrance into a US port.
Fees on Chinese-built vessels and fleets – A fee up to US$1.5m per Chinese-built vessel entering a US port, based on the percentage of Chinese-built vessels in the relevant operator’s fleet.
Fees on orders from Chinese shipyards – An “additional” fee assessed based on the percentage of vessels ordered from Chinese shipyards, up to US$1m for operators with 50% or more of their vessel orders in Chinese shipyards.
A fee of up to US$1m is imposed on the vessel’s entry into a US port if the percentage of Chinese vessel orders (including vessels expected to be delivered by Chinese shipyards over the next 24 months) by the relevant operator is 25% or more.

However, on April 14, 2025, after several months of deliberations, the USTR released a newly revised port fee structure detailed below. [1]

New Empty Container Fee from US Ports

The US ports introduce a new empty container fee for long-dwelling to tackle the thriving supply chain crisis.

Ship Nerd

The Details of the Newly Released US Port Fees

Starting from October 14, 2025, the Office of the US Trade Representative (“USTR”) expects the following US port fees, categorized under four annexes, to go into effect.

Annex I – Fee on Chinese vessel operators & vessel owners

A US port fee at a rate of $50 per net ton will be imposed on the entry of a Chinese-owned or operated vessel into a US port. This rate is expected to increase from April 2026 until it flattens to $140 per net ton by April 2028.

According to the instructions in the US Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) Form 1300, the “operator” of a Chinese vessel is defined as the party listed on the Certificate of Financial Responsibility (Water Pollution) unless indicated on other verifiable documents such as charter or lease arrangement. The CBP Form does not distinctly describe the “owner” of a Chinese vessel. However, a Chinese owner or operator may include an owner or operator that is a citizen of or headquartered in China, which also includes an entity that is owned or controlled by a Chinese citizen.

“China”, in this case, refers to the People’s Republic of China, Macau, and Hong Kong, with Taiwan not included.

Annex II – Fee on Chinese-built vessels

A fee at a rate of $18 per net ton will be imposed on the entry of a Chinese-built vessel into a US port. This rate is expected to increase by April 2026 and flatten to $33 per net ton by April 2028. For containers with higher-than-average tonnage, the rate will start at $120 per container and later flatten to $250 per container.

However, vessels arriving in the US empty or in ballast, certain US-owned vessels, vessels entering the continental US from a voyage of less than 2,000 nautical miles, certain small vessels, and certain specialized vessels will all be exempted from the Annex II port fees.

Annex III – Fee on foreign-built vehicle carrier

A fee at a rate of $150 per Car Equivalent Unit (CEU) will be imposed on the entry of a non-US-built vehicle carrier vessel into a US port.

Annex IV – Restriction on LNG exports

Starting from April 17, 2028, at least 1% of all scheduled LNG exports by vessel in a calendar year must be exported by a US-built vessel. This percentage is expected to increase annually, flattening at 15% in April 2047. [2]

What Has Changed about the Previously Proposed Rules?

Despite the imminent proceedings, there have been some changes to the rules initially proposed on February 21, 2025, and they are highlighted below:

The fees are to be calculated based on tonnage (or containers delivered/vehicle carrying capacity) instead of per vessel as previously proposed.
The fees imposed on Chinese owners and operators are now higher than the fees on Chinese-built vessels.
The exceptions to the fees on Chinese-built vessels (e.g., small vessels and vessels arriving in the US empty) do not necessarily apply to the fees on Chinese owners and operators.
The fees will not be calculated based on the fleet makeup of the owner or operator; the vessel itself and its owner/operator are focused on.
The fees imposed on newbuilding orders from Chinese shipyards have been removed.
The fees placed on vehicle carriers apply to any non-US-built vessel, whether or not there is a Chinese connection.
The requirement concerning primarily using US-built vessels for exports now only applies to LNG, starting in 2028. LNG carriers are not expected to pay the other port fees.

How the US Port Fees May Create Chaos in Global Shipping Dynamics

Experts warn that the impending US port fee will cripple global maritime operations and undermine the existing sustainable shipping practices.

Ship Nerd

Some Uncertainties Ahead

Some challenges and unanswered questions about the US port fees’ implementation remain. For example, it is not clearly defined when there is a Chinese “operator” in case vessels change hands.

Moreover, who is the “owner” in a Chinese lease financing? Because such financial loans will be repaid in the course of time, and the original owners cannot be considered Chinese if they are not.

It is also not immediately clear how the exception for US-owned vessels works. Does the exception for vessels arriving in the US empty or in ballast apply to vessels that do not deliver cargo to the US?

There is likewise no clear information whether the fee limit of five US calls per year only applies to per calendar year or per one-year period.

How the New US Port Fees Can Change the Market Dynamics?

Maritime experts project that the full implementation of the newly introduced US port fees will cause a tsunami in the global shipping operations.

For instance, it will intensify the existing trade tension between the US and China, spilling to other nations that are their trade partners. This may lead to a sharp reduction in US port calls.

More importantly, the shipping costs will spike to the roof, and merchants may be compelled to pay more for their goods. An issue that may cause cost-induced inflation around the world.

Experts believe that the combination of tariffs and new port fees on China may create new sources for shipbuilding, in addition to the well-known South Korean, Japanese, and European shipyards.

Without doubt, some European shipowners, particularly some Greek shipping companies that have already ordered ships from China will be seriously affected. They may face unexpected higher costs that may compel them to cancel some existing orders or reconsider future vessel orders.

https://shipnerdnews.com/how-us-port-fees-chaos-global-shipping-dynamics/ (your website came up in the search as a source! Hurray!)

Key Takeaways

To avoid being penalized or blacklisted, it is imperative for shipowners to familiarize themselves with every provision of the new US port fees.