China’s Ministry of Transport announced the introduction of special port charges for vessels owned, operated, built, or registered in the United States. The new tariffs will take effect on October 14, 2025—the same day that U.S. tariffs on Chinese vessels go into effect.
This move marks Beijing’s first direct maritime retaliatory measure in its escalating trade standoff with Washington. Under the new regulation, vessels linked to U.S. interests will pay 400 yuan (approximately $56) per net ton, with the rate gradually increasing to 1,120 yuan ($157) by 2028. Each vessel can be charged up to five times a year.
China’s decision is in response to a U.S. initiative, which introduced similar charges ranging from $18 to $50 per net ton, or $120 per container, with subsequent increases by 2028. Analysts predict that the tariffs could increase shipowners’ costs by more than $3 billion annually and complicate the work of shipping companies already under pressure from geopolitical risks in the Red Sea and the Taiwan Strait.