The Trump administration has unveiled plans to impose port fees on Chinese-built ships in an effort to level the playing field in the global shipbuilding market, with scaled-back penalties to limit the impact on American businesses and consumers.
Beginning in mid-October, owners and operators of Chinese-built ships will be charged $50 per net ton of cargo, according to a notice released on Thursday by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). The fee is set to rise every year, reaching $140 per net ton in 2028.
Service fees for Chinese-built ships will also begin at $18 per net ton or $120 per container, whichever is higher, and will increase over the next three years….