Business groups urge USTR to scrap China ship port fees

The news

Hundreds of business and trade groups have urged the US Trade Representative to permanently scrap port fees on China-linked ships. In an Oct. 30 letter, they backed USTR’s proposal to extend the suspension through Jan 9, while negotiations with China continue.

The signatories include the US Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, National Retail Federation and American Farm Bureau Federation. The coalition includes port authorities, shipping groups and logistics associations.
Almost all groups that submitted comments on the proposed extension opposed the fees.

The details

The groups say bringing the fees back would raise freight costs and hurt US exports. Reinstating them would add costs to supply chains already facing high freight rates, equipment shortages and trade uncertainty, the coalition wrote.

The American Association of Port Authorities, International Chamber of Shipping and World Shipping Council signed the coalition letter. The World Shipping Council, which represents container lines, also filed its own comments.

The fees ran for 27 days last year before a US-China trade deal paused them. They took effect Oct 14, 2025, but were suspended from Nov 10, 2025.

The fees started at $50 per net ton for Chinese-owned or Chinese-operated ships, and the higher of $18 per net ton or $120 per container for Chinese-built ships.
Foreign-built vehicle carriers paid $150 per car-equivalent unit (CEU) of capacity.
Some vessel owners could qualify for a suspension of fees for up to three years by ordering a qualifying US-built vessel.

Some lawmakers want the fees reinstated to support domestic shipbuilding. Senators Mark Kelly of Arizona and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, both Democrats, urged USTR Jamieson Greer in June to bring them back.

“Section 301 port fees are critical to revitalizing US shipbuilding,” the senators wrote in a letter. They said China produced more than half of the world's commercial ships in 2025.