China to impose special port fees on US vessels

China’s Ministry of Transportation said Friday the fees will be collected on vessels owned by U.S. companies, organizations, or individuals. Vessels with 25% or more of their equity owned by U.S. entities, as well as those flying the U.S. flag, will also be subject to the special port fee, it added.

These vessels docking at Chinese ports will be charged 400 yuan or $56 per net ton from October 14. The rate will rise to 640 yuan per net ton from April 17, 2026, 880 yuan from April 17, 2027, and 1,120 yuan from April 17, 2028, according to the ministry.

For vessels calling at multiple Chinese ports in the same voyage, the special port fee will only be collected at the first port of call, and each vessel will be subject to the special port fee for no more than five voyages per year.

The latest move by Beijing came in response to the Trump administration’s decision to impose similar fees, charging built, owned, or operated by Chinese entities $80 per net ton per voyage to the U.S. Non-Chinese operators of Chinese-built ships will face the higher of two rates, either $23 per net ton or $154 per 20-foot-equivalent unit of capacity.

China’s Ministry of Transportation said the U.S. move violates international trade principles and the China-U.S. maritime agreement, severely disrupting maritime trade between the two countries.

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