The United States is set to introduce hefty charges on ocean container lines and carriers calling U.S. ports, specifically targeting ships built in China. The full plan was revealed in a proposal by the United States Trade Representative (USTR), as detailed in this source, published in the Federal Register this past Friday. Under the new proposal, fees could reach as much as $1.5 million per U.S. port call for Chinese-made ships, and $500,000 for operators with even one Chinese-built vessel. Additionally, a $1 million charge is proposed for China-based vessel operators such as Cosco, the fourth-largest container line globally.

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This initiative is expected to cause significant disruptions in the maritime supply chain, which serves the world’s largest market through a network of cooperation including service routes and vessel sharing agreements. Carriers might be compelled to pass the added expenses to shippers as surcharges and higher rates, potentially escalating the prices of imported goods across the board.

The proposal coincides with a push for U.S. export cargo to be transported on U.S.-flagged and crewed ships, following a USTR investigation from January that highlighted China’s alleged unfair dominance in global ocean shipping and shipbuilding. The final decision on these charges lies with President Trump, and public comments are open until March 24, followed by a scheduled hearing by the USTR.

Data from IndexBox indicates that about 17% of the container vessels calling at U.S. ports are Chinese-built, which represents 1.29 million of the total 28.2 million TEUs imported by the U.S. in 2024. These statistics underscore the potential scale of impact that the proposed fees could have on international trade and shipping operations.

Source: IndexBox Market Intelligence Platform