The US will impose new port fees on all Chinese-built ships calling at American ports, regardless of ownership, starting October 14, 2025. While non-Chinese owners avoided a proposed flat fee of US$1.5 million per call, they will still face rising tonnage-based, starting at US$18 per net ton and gradually increasing to US$33 per net ton by April 17, 2028, or a container-based fee, starting at US$120 per container discharged and will increase to US$250 per container by April 17, 2028.

Chinese shipowners and operators, however, face significantly higher fees, beginning at US$50 per net ton, with annual increases of US$30 each year for the next three years and no cap, potentially reaching over US$8.4 million per vessel. Car carriers and LNG ships will also be subject to specific charges.

Exemptions include smaller vessels, ships operating on domestic routes, those traveling to the Caribbean or within the Great Lakes, and certain specialized vessel types. Empty bulk carriers arriving at US ports to load exports such as wheat and soybeans are also excluded. Additionally, the new measures do not apply to container ships under 4,000 TEU or to voyages shorter than 2,000 nautical miles.