China hits back at US ships with additional port fees

Vessels owned or operated by US firms and individuals – or those built in the United States or that fly the US flag – will be charged additional port fees per voyage starting on 14 October, China's transport ministry said.

The fees are a countermeasure against upcoming US port fees, the ministry said on Friday.

Also starting on 14 October, ships built in China – or operated or owned by Chinese entities – will need to pay a fee at their first port of call in the United States. Fees could top $1 million for a ship carrying over 10,000 containers, and could rise annually through 2028, according to analyst estimates.

Vessels owned or operated by a Chinese entity will face a flat fee of $80 per net tonnage per voyage to the US.

The US fees on China-linked vessels, following a probe by the US Trade Representative (USTR), are part of a broader US effort to revive domestic shipbuilding and blunt China's naval and commercial shipping power.

Over the past two decades, China has catapulted itself to the No.1 position in the shipbuilding world, with its biggest shipyards handling both commercial and military projects.

The Chinese fees on US vessels could hurt the US less than the US fees to be heaped on the legion of Chinese ships.

Last year, Chinese shipyards built more than 1,000 commercial vessels, while the US constructed fewer than 10, according to military and industry analysts.

For US vessels berthing at Chinese ports from 14 October, the rate shall be 400 yuan ($56.13) per net tonne, the Chinese transport ministry said.

That will increase to 640 yuan ($89.81) from 17 April 2026, and to 880 yuan from 17 April 2027.

For vessels calling at Chinese ports from 17 April 2028, the charge shall be 1,120 yuan ($157.16) per net tonne.

Tensions between China and the United States have started to deepen since September, with the two superpowers looking to be struggling to move beyond their current trade tariff truce – a 90-day pause from 11 August that ends around 9 November.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are expected to meet as they attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in South Korea at the end of October.