In March 2025, fossil-fuel and agriculture representatives were expected to tell U.S. trade officials that proposed fees on China-built ships could raise shipping costs and complicate U.S. exports. The proposal was part of a broader effort to counter China’s maritime influence and support U.S. shipbuilding. The specified fees were later suspended through November 9, 2026, so they should not be described as currently being collected during that period.
What did the proposed port fees cover?
The March 26, 2025, Reuters report previewed a Washington hearing on a U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) proposal to charge fees for China-built vessels calling at U.S. ports. Reuters said the proposed fees could exceed $3 million per U.S. port call. That figure described the proposal discussed in March 2025, not the later suspended fee schedule. Reuters, republished by Agriculture.com
The administration’s stated purpose was to counter China’s commercial and military dominance at sea and encourage a revival of U.S. shipbuilding. Fossil-fuel and agriculture representatives, by contrast, were expected to focus on possible costs and shipping constraints for U.S. exporters.
Why were exporters concerned?
Higher freight costs could reach U.S. producers
Exporters argued that fees could increase the cost of moving products such as coal and soybeans to overseas markets. United Grain Corp said in a March 21, 2025, letter that early market reactions to the proposal had already led to a 40% increase in ocean freight cost for commodity shippers, according to Reuters. That was the company’s attributed claim about early market reactions—not an independently established increase across all freight markets.
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Switching ships might not be practical
One possible way to avoid a fee tied to China-built vessels would be to charter a suitable ship not subject to it. But Javelin Global Commodities CEO Peter Bradley argued that exporters could not count on finding enough alternatives. In a March 17, 2025, letter to USTR, Bradley wrote: “The reality today is that there is insufficient supply of suitable vessels for U.S. producers to charter which would enable them to avoid paying these fees,” Reuters reported.
That quotation records an exporter’s contemporaneous assessment, not a separately verified measurement of vessel supply. If suitable alternatives were scarce, a fee could be difficult to avoid and could add to the expense or complexity of shipping commodities.
Fewer workable shipping options could affect trade
The concerns were not limited to the fee itself. Representatives warned that higher costs and difficulty securing appropriate vessels could leave U.S. producers with fewer practical ways to transport goods to market. Reuters named expected speakers from the American Petroleum Institute, National Mining Association, North American Export Grain Association, and Agriculture Transportation Coalition. The advance report does not establish what each organization ultimately said at the hearing.
What was the government trying to achieve?
USTR described its action as a response to China’s policies in maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors, and as an effort to restore American shipbuilding. The policy trade-off was therefore between a strategic industrial goal and potential near-term costs for U.S. businesses that rely on ocean shipping. The Reuters report previewed the opposing arguments; it did not settle their net economic effect.
USTR’s Section 301 investigation page lists the action’s public chronology. USTR announced responsive action on April 17, 2025, and later modified it before suspending the specified fees.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Are the U.S. fees on China-linked ships in effect now?
No—not the specified maritime transport service fees covered by USTR’s November 2025 notice. USTR suspended the fees under Annexes I, II, and III from 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on November 10, 2025, through 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 9, 2026. During that suspension, no party would accrue liability for or be required to pay those fees, according to the USTR suspension notice. The original March 2025 hearing report describes a proposal and its expected effects; it is not a description of fees currently being collected during the suspension period.
The suspension has a stated end date. For status on or after November 10, 2026, check USTR’s current notice or investigation page rather than assuming the fees remain suspended or have resumed.
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