On November 10, 2025, the United States and China implemented a one-year mutual pause of maritime port service fees. This critical truce temporarily halted the United States Trade Representative (USTR) Section 301 tariffs on Chinese-linked vessels and China’s reciprocal Special Port Charges. For global logistics leaders, the US-China Maritime Tariff Suspension provided a vital reprieve from escalating trans-Pacific costs. The policy paused planned fee increases on Chinese vessel operators, non-US car carriers, and ship-to-shore (STS) cranes. Scheduled to expire on November 9, 2026, this freeze has offered supply chains a necessary stabilization period.
As the expiration date approaches, political demands to terminate the US-China Maritime Tariff Suspension are intensifying. In early June 2026, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Mark Kelly formally urged USTR Jamieson Greer to reinstate the tariffs. Proponents argue that the taxes—which would generate approximately $3.2 billion annually from large Chinese-built vessels calling at U.S. ports—are necessary to subsidize and protect domestic shipbuilding. Currently, U.S. shipyards produce merely 0.1% of global oceangoing vessels, while China manufactures over 50%. This stark industrial disparity has elevated the tariff debate into a prominent national security issue heading into late 2026.
The uncertain future following the US-China Maritime Tariff Suspension requires proactive supply chain management. Logistics professionals must prepare for the following imminent scenarios:
- Reinstated Cost Burdens: If the truce expires without a renewal, paused fees on Chinese vessel operators could immediately jump to $80 per net ton.
- Budgeting Adjustments: Shippers must incorporate potential fee resumptions into their multi-year cargo contracts and 2027 logistics forecasts.
- Future Regulations: Unaffected by the current tariff pause, strict regulations requiring a percentage of U.S. LNG exports to be transported on U.S.-flagged vessels will still take effect in April 2028.
References
US-China Port Fee Truce Implemented on 10 November 2025.
Gateway Lines: Section 301 China Fees Suspended to Nov 2026.
Suspension and Amendments to US and China Port Fees.
FreightWaves: Democrats want China port tax reinstated.
Gulf News: China ship row puts Trump under pressure.
