The Trump administration has revealed its plan to impose port fees on Chinese ships as it is trying to revive the shipbuilding in the United States and to challenge China's dominance from the industry.
The US Sales Representative (USTR) is less difficult than a plan sailing in February to hit ships produced by China with a fee of up to $ 1.5 million for each US port they visited.
It says that fees will start charging in 180 days and will rise in the coming years.
There are fears that measures will further violate global trade against US President Donald Trump at tariff policies.
“China has largely achieved its goals for domination, as highly unfavorable US companies, workers and US economy,” USTR said.
Fees for the owners of Chinese ships and ship operators built in China will be based on the weight of their load, how many containers carry or the number of vehicles on board.
For the bulk vessels affected, the fee will be based on the weight of their load, while the container ship fee will depend on how many containers the vessel carries.
According to measures, fees for Chinese ship and operators will initially be charged $ 50 per tonne of load, increasing by $ 30 per tonne each year over the next three years.
The fees for Chinese ships will start at $ 18 per tonne or $ 120 per container, and will also increase over the next three years.
Ships that are not in the United States carrying cars will be charged $ 150 per vehicle.
The fee will be applied once to sailing on the affected ships and no more than six times a year.
USTR also decided not to impose fees based on how many ships built from Chinese are in Fleet or based on future orders in Chinese ships, as it originally suggested.
Empty vessels that arrive at the ports in the United States to carry bulk exports such as coal or grain are also released.
USTR has said the second phase of actions will start in three years to favors US ships that carry liquefied natural gas (LNG). These restrictions will gradually increase over the next 22 years.
The announcement has come as global trade has already been violated by Trump's trade rates, experts said.
Initially, loads intended for ports in the United States from China were instead diverted to European ports, said a trade group.
Business warned that this would raise prices for US consumers.
After returning to the White House in January, Trump imposed taxes up to 145% on imports from China. Other countries face the US Tariff from 10% to July
The administration said this week that when new tariffs are added to existing ones, the levies of some Chinese goods can reach 245%.
These tariffs have caused “significant accumulations” of ships, especially in the European Union, but also “significant congestion” in the ports of the United Kingdom, according to Marco Framing, CEO of Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade.
More containers come to the UK, he said.
“We have seen many deviations from ships from China, which had to go to the United States, diverting and coming to the UK and the EU.”
In the first three months of 2025, Chinese imports to the UK increased by about 15% and in the EU by about 12%.
“This is a direct impact on what President Trump is doing,” he said, adding that uncertainty and increased disturbances are pushing prices for consumers.
Sane Handre, the president of the logistics firm Flexport, said that the rates and strikes in ports in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium were both “clogging” ports in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.
UK overload “is especially heavy in Felixstowe”, while in Continental Europe Rotterdam and Barcelona are “quite heavy”.
“I believe that if more loads will be directed to Europe, finding new buyers that will increase volumes even more, it can lead to more congestion,” he said – although the terminals will be open for more hours a day in the summer due to better time.
He said the freight forwarders are looking for new markets, but this may also have a tide of goods to the United States to try to take advantage of this 90-day window for goods from some countries.
He said in the US users will pay for tariffs, but European users will not see “big impact”.
Companies are also likely to start redesigning their supply chains, he said.