The Trump administration seems hellbent on continuing to target Chinese trade, with the latest proposal being a penalty on ships that arrive at US ports that were built in Chinese shipyards.

Following an investigation, the Office of United States Trade Representative (USTR) concluded that Chinese state support of maritime supply chains was unfair and proposed fees for China-built ships calling at US ports.

The new fees could see carriers having to pay $1m per vessel arrival if the containership is built in a Chinese shipyard, regardless of the carrier or owner’s nationality and which flag the vessel sails under.

The proposed fee may include scaling prices according to how many Chinese built vessels are operated by the carrier.

• Carriers who’s fleet is 50% or more Chinese-built:  $1m per vessel call.
• Carriers who’s fleet is 25-49% Chinese-built:  $750,000 per vessel call.
• Carriers who’s fleet is 0-24% Chinese-built:  $500,000 per vessel call.

On the flipside, one variation of these fees includes a rebate for every US built ship that calls.

However, reports suggest that of the ships delivered globally in 2024, over 55% were built in China and 0.2% in the United States. Therefore, with many more Chinese-built ships in service, it is likely that the fees would impact importers and exporters, should the USTR’s proposals carry through.