China Imposes Reciprocal Port Fees On US As Trade tensions Rise

Beijing has introduced a new port fee policy targeting US vessels entering Chinese ports and mirroring recent actions by the US Trade Representative (USTR) against Chinese shipbuilding.

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Both measures came into effect October 14th, underscoring rising economic friction between the two countries.

According to the Chinese announcement, the fees will apply to vessels that are built or registered in the United States, as well as those owned or controlled by American entities or individuals holding at least a 25% stake.

Ships visiting multiple Chinese ports on a single voyage will be charged only at their first point of entry, and each vessel will face no more than five such charges per year. The fee structure mirrors that set by the USTR, beginning at RMB 400 (around £42) per net tonne and increasing annually to reach RMB 1,120 (£120) by 2028.

This development comes just weeks before the current trade truce between Washington and Beijing is due to expire, raising concerns of a renewed tariff confrontation. Tensions have been mounting since China restricted their exports of rare earth minerals and President Trump threatened to impose an additional 100% tariff on Chinese imports.

At the same time, new U.S. tariffs on imported timber, kitchen cabinetry, and upholstered furniture - products largely sourced from China - also came into effect from yesterday.

Despite the worsening trade climate, Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping are still scheduled to meet later this month in South Korea, a meeting observers hope could ease the latest surge in trade tension.

Croft Cargo is monitoring developments.

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