US announces plans to charge fees on Chinese ships docking at US ports

The United States has unveiled plans to impose new port fees on Chinese ships, saying it aims to revive American shipbuilding against China’s dominance in the industry.

The United States has unveiled plans to impose new port fees on Chinese ships, saying it aims to revive American shipbuilding against China’s dominance in the industry. President Donald Trump has embarked on a sweeping trade war with China, a move his administration portrays as a bid to bring manufacturing back to the US but that critics and many economists fear could trigger a global recession and increased prices for consumers. The Federal Register notice posted by the US Trade Representative (USTR) on Thursday said the US plans to charge fees on all Chinese-built and -owned ships docking in US ports based on net tonnage or goods carried on each voyage. The new fees will be enforced in 180 days and will be rolled out in a phased manner and may be raised in coming years, according to the USTR notice. The latest announcement backtracks from proposals floated in February to charge China-built ships of up to $1.5 million per port call, which had prompted a widespread industry backlash, Reuters reported. “Ships and shipping are vital to American economic security and the free flow of commerce,” US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement.