U.S.-China Maritime Fee Crisis: Trade Truce Leaves Shipping Tariffs in Limbo

The U.S. and China extended their trade truce to January 10, 2027, but left a critical gap: maritime port-entry fees targeting Chinese vessels and China-built ships remain scheduled to resume November 10, 2025, unless the U.S. Trade Representative issues a new notice. This administrative misalignment creates significant uncertainty for liner operators and importers, as the fee suspension, initially paused for one year as part of the broader economic détente, will expire while the larger trade agreement remains active. The prospective fees carry substantial scope beyond Chinese carriers.

Under the Section 301 investigation framework, Chinese operators and Chinese-owned vessels face $50-per-net-ton charges, while non-Chinese carriers operating Chinese-built ships face the higher of $18 per net ton or $120 per discharged container. If reinstated, these fees would likely trigger carrier network redesigns, port rotation changes, and cost recovery through surcharges, ultimately widening the burden to U.S. importers and exporters. More than 200 maritime and trade stakeholders have urged USTR to extend the suspension, recognizing that resumption would inject costs and operational complexity into trans-Pacific supply chains. The timing creates acute risk: formal USTR action is required to extend, modify, or cancel the fee regime, yet as of late September, no such notice had been issued despite the trade truce announcement.

This administrative lag leaves supply chain professionals in a holding pattern, unable to finalize network strategies, pricing models, or capacity planning with confidence. China has reciprocal port fees on U.S.-linked vessels on the same schedule, raising the prospect of mutual retaliation if the U.S. fees revive.