“This is a legitimate measure to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese maritime enterprises.”October 10, the Ministry of Transportation press spokesman said, opened a new situation for the US-China trade war.On the same day, the Ministry of Transportation issued an announcement, announcing from October 14, on the U.S. ships to charge special port charges.
On April 17 this year, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative launched a 301 investigation into China's maritime, logistics and shipbuilding industries, announcing that port service fees will be imposed on China ships starting from October 14. China feels that the United States 'approach is too unruly and seriously violates international trade principles and the Sino-US shipping agreement. After a 178-day calm evaluation period, China finally chose to announce countermeasures on October 10, implementing precise reciprocity and gradient pressure. The announcement stipulates that special port fees will be charged to American ships on a voyage basis, which will be implemented in four phases. Starting from October 14, 2025, those berthing at China ports will be charged at RMB 400 per net ton; subsequently, on April 17, 2026, April 17, 2027 and April 17, 2028, it will be increased to RMB 640, RMB 880 and RMB 1120 respectively.
In addition, the announcement also clearly requires five types of ships that are subject to special port fees: ships owned or operated by U.S. capital, with U.S. capital holding 25% or more, flying the U.S. flag, and built in the United States. This time, China's counterattack can be said to have accurately attacked the layout of U.S. capital in the global shipping industry, making it difficult for the United States to evade sanctions through means such as "flag change" and "proxy holding." As a result, third-country ships held by American companies with more than 25% equity will also be included in the fee range. The confidence that supports China's counterattack this time is because China's shipbuilding strength is much stronger than that of the United States.
According to China Shipping Association data, in the first half of 2025, China's ship completion volume, new order volume, hand-held order volume to correct the total tonnage accounted for the world's total amount of 47.2%, 64% and 57.6%, respectively, the three indicators ranked first in the world for sixteen consecutive years. China's LNG transport ships, super large container ships, luxury cruise ships and other high-added value shipping types have achieved a comprehensive breakthrough, domestication rate exceeds 90%. In other words, China in terms of marine equipment, others can not replace it at all. In comparison, the shipbuilding industry in the United States has been much less than the previous. In 2024, the entire annual commercial ship output is less than 10 units, which is equivalent to only
The choice is taken from the seemingly small side of port charges, which is actually catching the weak rib in U.S. trade. The Chinese ports account for 30% of the global container throughput, and U.S. maritime trade to China depends heavily on the Chinese port network. For a U.S. distribution ship carrying 20,000 tons of goods, the single special port charges will exceed 22 million yuan by 2028.
This counter-measure is not only a direct response to the 301 measures of the United States, but also an overall counterattack against unilateralism and protectionism. In addition, in addition to taking countermeasures in the field of ships, a variety of tools are also comprehensively used. On September 25, the Ministry of Commerce included three U.S. entities in the export control list. These combined measures formed a complete counter-measure system. According to the current analysis, there are several possible development paths around the game of port fees. The design of gradient pressure leaves a window for the US to adjust its policies. With the first rate increase in April 2026, the two parties may enter a new round of exploration and negotiation.
The affordability of the global supply chain is also a key issue. The trade volume between China and the United States is very large, and some of the additional costs may be borne by American consumers, and some may be digested by other links in the supply chain. China has obvious industrial advantages in this field, but it is difficult for the United States to find alternatives in the short term. In the medium and long term, this game may change the pattern of global shipping and trade.