Recently, the United States has taken action against China's shipbuilding industry. This time, it is not a simple trade sanction, but a real extra charge.
And five days later, on October 14, a paper announcement by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce made Washington feel what is called "come and not go uncomfortable."
The U.S. subsidiary of Hanoi Ocean first tasted the bitter fruit, and all transactions were completely frozen.
On October 9, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative released a hundreds of pages long investigation report that directly targeted China's shipbuilding industry.
According to the results of the so-called "301 investigation", the United States decided to impose a triple standard on Chinese ships stopping at its ports.
In particular, Ship tonnage fees will be charged extra, port usage fees will be paid extra, and even the time of loading and unloading goods will be charged by the minute.
Calculated, an ordinary container ship costs millions of dollars more every time it enters the port, which is astronomical for shipping companies.
The U.S. operation was not a solo struggle.Huawei Ocean, the U.S. subsidiary of the South Korean shipbuilding giant, served as a "rapid pioneer".They not only provided technical support to the U.S. side, but also actively lobbied members of Congress to support the measure.
At the hearing in Washington, Representatives from Hanoi Ocean claimed that Chinese shipbuilding relied on government subsidies for unfair competition, damaging the U.S. shipbuilding industry.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce did not immediately respond to the news.
After five days of patience, on the morning of October 14, an announcement was released on the website of the Ministry of Commerce.
The content is concise and clear: From now on, all business dealings with Hanwha Ocean's five subsidiaries in the United States will be frozen, including but not limited to shipbuilding contracts, parts procurement, technical cooperation and other fields.
The U.S. subsidiary of Huawei Ocean mainly relies on cooperation with Chinese enterprises to maintain operations, especially in the supply chain of key parts such as marine steel, electronic equipment, China occupies an irreplaceable position.
Losing the Chinese markets and supply chains, these companies are basically equal to being sentenced to death.After the news came, the stock price of Hunan Ocean fell sharply and investors began to re-evaluate the company's prospects.
Then, China played the second card: The Ministry of Commerce announced the implementation of reciprocal charging measures for American ships entering Chinese ports.
The charging standard completely refers to the practice of the United States, with no more than one point and no less. China's measures cover five categories of ships, including bulk carriers, container ships, oil tankers, liquefied natural gas carriers and cruise ships.
In order to prevent people from evading the situation by changing the flag or holding equity, China Customs has also established a strict identification system. Any ship with actual control in the hands of the United States cannot escape supervision.
Main Chinese ports such as Shanghai Port, Ningbo Port and Shenzhen Port immediately implement the new rules.
The first batch affected were several container ships sailing from Los Angeles to Shanghai. The shipowners were stunned when they received the bills.
Port charges, which were originally hundreds of thousands of dollars, now have to be multiplied several times. Some small shipping companies are beginning to consider adjusting their routes and avoiding Chinese ports.
Chinese shipping companies such as long-distance shipping have been prepared. The day after the U.S. announced the measures, Cosco began to adjust its North American routes, shifting some capacity to Southeast Asian and European markets.
The domestic shipyards were not in panic either, and the dock and production capacity originally reserved for U.S. customers was soon filled with orders from the Middle East and Africa.
The U.S. retail industry first felt the pressure: Large chains of supermarkets such as Walmart and Tagit depended on goods imported from China, and rising shipping costs directly pushed up costs.
Some retailers have begun lobbying the White House in hopes of reconsidering the policy.The American Shipbuilding Association has also fallen into division, and some companies believe that this practice is unselfish and will eventually crush the entire industry.
The reaction of the international shipping market is more complex. The volume of business in major Asian ports such as Singapore and Busan suddenly increased.Many ships choose to transfer goods in these transit ports, avoiding direct shipping between China and the United States.
The shipping market has fluctuated sharply, with prices on some routes rising, while others falling sharply. Insurance companies have also begun to re-evaluate risks, significantly increasing insurance fees on Sino-American routes.
European and Japanese shipping companies have become unexpected beneficiaries.
Companies such as Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping quickly filled market gaps, and their stock prices have steadily risen over the course of the time.。 Japan's shipbuilding companies such as Mitsui and Kawasaki have also received many orders, and the order volume has reached a new high in recent years.
Behind this trade friction is actually a change in the position of the two countries in the global supply chain.
China is no longer a mere factory in the world, but an important player in the key technology and market voice.
Although the United States is still strong, in many areas it is no longer able to unilaterally formulate the rules of the game.This countermeasure, China showed not only strength, but also a kind of confidence and determination.
After all, there is no winner in a trade war, and the losers will always be ordinary consumers and.The two countries, as the world's two largest economies, any friction will affect the world.
It is hoped that both sides can sit down and talk and find a solution acceptable to all parties。After all, cooperation is the mainstream, and confrontation will only lead to both losses! What is your opinion on this? Welcome to leave a message!
Source of information:
[1] Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) 301 Investigation Report on China's Shipbuilding Industry, released on October 9, 2025
[2] Announcement of the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China No. 87 of 2024, on the freezing of transactions with U.S. subsidiaries of the Korean Sea, 14 October 2025
[3] Announcement No. 88 of 2024 of the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China, Notice on the Implementation of Reciprocal Port Charging Measures for American Ships, issued on October 14, 2025
Internal Notice of the Shanghai International Ports Group on the Implementation of New Charge Standards, 15 October 2025
[5] Qingdao Shipbuilding (Group) Limited Liability Company 2025 Third Quarter Order Statement, October 13, 2025