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China US-owned ships docking in the country have been hit with tit-for-tat port charges in response to the US government’s planned port charges on Chinese vessels, detailing a series of retaliatory measures ahead of trade talks between US President Donald Trump and US President Donald Trump. donald trump and Chinese leaders Xi Jinping,
China’s transport ministry said on Friday that ships owned or operated by US companies or individuals, and ships built in the US or flying the US flag, will have to pay a fee of 400 yuan ($56) per net ton per voyage when they dock in China. China’s Transport Ministry said on Friday.
The ministry said the fee will be applied to a maximum of five voyages per year on a single ship and will increase each year until 2028, when it will rise to 1,120 yuan ($157) per net ton. They will take effect on October 14, the same day the United States will begin imposing port duties on Chinese vessels.
China’s transport ministry said in a statement on Friday that its special fees on US ships are a “counter measure” in response to “wrongful” US practices, referring to planned US port fees on Chinese ships.
The ministry described the United States’ port tariffs as “discriminatory” that would “seriously harm the legitimate interests of China’s shipping industry” and “seriously undermine” the international economic and trade order.
China has announced a series of trade measures and sanctions ahead of an expected meeting between Trump and Xi on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. south korea Which starts at the end of October. on thursday, Beijing New restrictions were unveiled on the export of rare earths and related technologies, as well as new restrictions on the export of certain lithium batteries and related production equipment.
The port charges announced by Beijing on Friday mirror many aspects of US port charges on Chinese ships docking in US ports. Under Washington’s plans, Chinese-owned or operated ships would be charged $50 per net ton for each visit to the US, rising to $30 per net ton each year until 2028. Each vessel will not be charged more than five times per year.
China’s new port fee is “not just a symbolic step,” said Kun Cao, deputy chief executive of consulting firm Reddal. “It clearly targets any ship with meaningful US links – ownership, operations, flag, or construction – and increases exponentially with ship size.”
“The real bite is on US-owned and operated ships,” he said, adding that North America accounts for about 5% of the world fleet in terms of beneficial ownership, which is still a meaningful figure, though not as large as that of Greek, Chinese and Japanese shipowners.
However, the United States has had only a 0.1% share of the global commercial shipbuilding market in recent years and built less than 10 commercial ships last year, Reddall said.
While shipping analysts have said US port charges on Chinese vessels are likely to have a limited impact on trade and freight rates as some shipping companies are redeploying their fleets to avoid the additional charges, shipping data provider Alphaliner warned this month that US port charges for the world’s top 10 carriers could still amount to $3.2 billion next year.