Overview

• Beijing will charge special tariffs on vessels with significant U.S. ties, including ships with over 25% U.S. ownership, U.S. flag, or U.S. construction, applied once per voyage at the first Chinese port and capped at five payments per ship each year.
• The Chinese rates follow a four‑step schedule beginning at 400 yuan (about $56) per net ton on Oct. 14 and rising annually to 1,120 yuan (about $157) per net ton by April 2028.
• U.S. port fees on China‑linked vessels took effect Oct. 8, starting at $50 per net ton for China‑owned ships and rising to $140, with lower rates for non‑Chinese operators using China‑built ships starting at $18 and increasing to $33.
• The USTR lowered its proposed fee for foreign‑built car carriers to $46 per net ton from much higher April levels, scrapped a retroactive LNG export‑license penalty, carved out some ethane and LPG carriers under long‑term charters, and moved to impose steep tariffs on certain Chinese cargo‑handling equipment while exempting intermodal containers and pre‑April 17 crane orders.
• Industry sources say U.S.-built or U.S.-operated ships make up less than 1% of the global fleet, pointing to concentrated exposure for a few operators such as Matson, whose shares fell nearly 7% between Oct. 6 and 9.