China responds to America by imposing additional fees at ports

The Chinese Ministry of Transport said yesterday that ships owned or operated by American companies and individuals, or those built in the United States or flying the American flag, will face additional port fees on every voyage starting on October 14, 2025.

The ministry added that these fees are a countermeasure to upcoming US port fees on Chinese ships.

Also starting October 14, ships manufactured in China or operated or owned by Chinese entities will have to pay fees at their first port of call in the United States.

According to analyst estimates, the fees could reach $1 million for a ship carrying more than 10,000 containers, and could rise annually until 2028.

Ships owned or operated by Chinese entities will face a flat fee of $80 per net load on each trip to the United States.

The US tariffs on ships linked to China, which came after an investigation by the US Trade Representative, are part of broader US efforts to revive the local shipbuilding industry and reduce Beijing’s maritime and commercial influence.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said: “These are clearly discriminatory measures that seriously harm the legitimate interests of the Chinese shipping industry, destabilize the global supply chain, and seriously undermine the international economic and trade system.”

Over the past two decades, China has jumped to first place in the shipbuilding industry, with its largest shipyards building both commercial and military ships.

Chinese tariffs on American ships may have less harm to the United States than the American duties that will be imposed on a large number of Chinese ships. According to military and ship sector analysts, last year China built more than 1,000 commercial ships, while the United States built less than 10 ships.

US President Donald Trump is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, while they attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in South Korea at the end of this October.