In April 2025, the US Trade Representative Office (USTR) introduced a fee measure targeting Chinese vessels and operators - any Chinese ships docking at US ports will be subject to additional charges. This measure is scheduled to take effect on October 14, 2025.
The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published detailed rules on October 3 regarding port fees for Chinese-owned, operated, or built vessels, as well as all foreign-manufactured car carriers: Chinese-owned or operated vessels will be charged $50 per net ton (increasing to $80 in 2026, $110 in 2027, and $140 in 2028); Chinese-built vessels will be charged $18 per net ton or $120 per container, whichever is higher (increasing to $33 and $250 respectively by 2028); non-US built car carriers (ro-ro ships) will be charged $14 per net ton.
The port fees must be paid through the US Treasury's official payment platform Pay.gov three business days before arriving at the first US port. Failure to complete payment in the system or submit valid proof will result in risks of cargo handling refusal, delayed clearance, or even suspended customs processing.
Compared to the previously published consultation version, the most significant difference in this detailed version is that ship operators must determine whether to pay port fees in advance for vessels calling at US ports.
In retaliation, China decided to amend the "Regulations of the People's Republic of China on International Maritime Transportation" at the end of September. Article 46 was revised to state that "if any country or region adopts or assists or supports discriminatory prohibition, restriction or other similar measures against operators, vessels or crew members engaged in China's international maritime transportation and auxiliary services, except where relevant treaties and agreements can provide adequate and effective remedies, the Chinese government shall take necessary countermeasures based on actual circumstances, including but not limited to collecting special fees from vessels of that country or region calling at Chinese ports, prohibiting or restricting vessels of that country or region from entering or leaving Chinese ports, and prohibiting or restricting organizations and individuals of that country or region from obtaining data and information related to China's international maritime transportation and operating international maritime transportation and auxiliary services to and from Chinese ports."
**Chinese Shipowners' Operating Costs Will Increase**
Chen Zhen, senior shipping and macro analyst at Founder Futures, indicated that the rules clearly show the US intention to suppress China's shipping industry. The first two of the three fee categories specifically target Chinese shipowners and Chinese shipyards, while also aiming to revitalize the US shipbuilding industry and increase tax revenue.
He stated that port fees will significantly increase operating costs for Chinese shipowners and Chinese vessels. Taking the 12,000 TEU container ships mainly used on US routes as an example, for just one call at a US port, shipowners are expected to incur an additional operating cost of $304/TEU, while vessels are expected to face an additional cost of $120/TEU.
Additionally, according to liner companies' route planning, each container ship typically calls at multiple US ports per voyage, leading to multiplied port fees. Previously, the US Trade Representative Office mentioned charging fees up to 5 times per vessel annually, adopting a gradual collection model with progressively increasing port fee rates from 2025 to 2028.
In response, leading multinational shipping companies have begun adjusting their operational strategies. Wu Jialu, shipping researcher at CITIC Futures, indicated that since September, major global shipping alliances have started adjusting routes calling at the US and replacing some vessels. Affected by port fees, both the PA Alliance and GEMINI Alliance have announced that some routes will cease operations, and they will reduce the number of Chinese vessels calling at US ports through internal fleet reallocation to lower related expenses. COSCO SHIPPING Group stated that services to US routes will remain normal. Shipping companies like CMA and MSC also indicated they will not impose additional surcharges for port fees.
Lei Yue, head of shipping research at Haitong Futures, stated that "Chinese-built" vessels account for 4% to 20% of foreign leading shipping companies' capacity deployment on US routes. Taking the GEMINI Alliance as an example, among the over 80 container ships currently deployed on US routes, fewer than 10 are "Chinese-built," allowing direct capacity swaps with other routes with minimal impact. MSC deploys approximately 100 container ships on US routes, with fewer than 20 being "Chinese-built"; CMA has about 15 "Chinese-built" vessels among its 50 US route ships; ONE has 10 "Chinese-built" vessels among its approximately 50 US route ships. These shipping companies or institutions may accelerate capacity redeployment before the October 14 port fee collection, especially given the current rapid decline in US route demand and severe blank sailings on some voyages, accelerating the withdrawal of "Chinese-built" capacity.
According to the latest news from Maritime Network, tariff disruptions and weak US demand have led container shipping companies to rapidly cancel sailings. Currently, carriers' operating profit margins on several major routes have fallen below break-even points, but shipping companies still prioritize market share over profitability, giving priority to maintaining market share.
According to the latest data from project44, 67 voyages from China to the US were canceled this month, while 71 voyages in the reverse direction were canceled. Bart De Muynck, Chief Strategy Officer at Better Supply Chains, stated that the speed at which carriers are canceling flights has not been seen since the early pandemic. This strategy is more about maintaining freight rate stability in a tariff-distorted market rather than responding to a crisis.
**Analysts: Direct Impact on European Routes Requires Continued Observation**
Lei Yue indicated that the latest port fee collection standards will not cause significant disruption to overall US route capacity, with only Chinese shipping companies being specifically targeted. Future attention should focus on changes in internal capacity and pricing strategies of the OA-led shipping alliance. Meanwhile, the impact of these port fees on European route markets is relatively limited. Affected by China-US trade friction, US route cargo volumes have declined significantly with increased blank sailings, and related vessels are being redeployed to routes including European lines for absorption. Future developments still require attention to China-US trade negotiation situations.
In Chen Zhen's view, the direct impact of these port fees on European route markets requires continued observation. On one hand, shipowners can avoid port fees through vessel swaps and transshipment; on the other hand, shipowners may use port fees as justification to increase freight rates to European shippers. The initial period of port fee collection may cause vessel rotation chaos, combined with rising overall operating costs for shipowners, potentially providing some support for container freight index (European routes) futures prices.
In Wu Jialu's view, the overall impact of port fees on European route markets is positive. Combined with the European route market entering year-end price support and peak season phases, the container freight index (European routes) futures 2512 contract is suitable for establishing long positions below 1,700 points.
"On one hand, the latest port fee standards are relatively high and will continue to rise in the future, with shipping costs expected to continue growing, though actual impacts require further observation. On the other hand, European route shipping companies have generally raised freight rates in the second half of October, with at least 2 rounds of price support expected subsequently. Additionally, blank sailings during National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays and generally low November scheduling provide shipping companies with motivation to maintain price support in long-term contract negotiations. Therefore, the container freight index (European routes) futures 2512 contract can be considered for establishing long positions when dipping below 1,700 points. Furthermore, as Israel and Hamas recently engaged in negotiations regarding the US-proposed '20-point plan,' and the Suez Canal Authority expressed active promotion of canal reopening, calendar spread operations can be conducted between the container freight index (European routes) futures 2512 contract and far-month 2026 contracts," Wu Jialu said.
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