A broad industry coalition of hundreds of stakeholders has urged the Trump administration to permanently suspend U.S. port fees targeting China-linked vessels, affirming that new fees “would create immediate and far-reaching consequences for U.S. companies that rely on ocean transportation to move goods into and out of the United States.”
In an Oct. 30 letter to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the large group stated: “On behalf of the undersigned maritime transportation stakeholders—including importers, exporters, retailers, manufacturers, agriculture groups, logistics providers, and other users of the international freight transportation system—we strongly support the two-month extension of the suspension of the Section 301 vessel fees related to China’s targeting of the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors.
“We appreciate the extension to January 9, 2027 as a result of the summit between President Trump and President Xi. We call upon USTR and the administration to permanently suspend the fees to provide certainty to the global supply chain.
“We continue to appreciate USTR’s efforts to address longstanding concerns regarding unfair practices affecting the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors. Strengthening U.S. maritime capacity and resilience is an important national objective. U.S. supply chains continue to face significant pressure. Importers, exporters, retailers, manufacturers, and agricultural producers are contending with elevated transportation costs, shifting carrier capacity, equipment availability challenges, port and inland network constraints, and broader uncertainty in global trade lanes. Many businesses are still working through higher costs for ocean freight, trucking, warehousing, insurance, and inventory management.”
The signatories include the World Shipping Council, the International Chamber of Shipping, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, National Retail Federation, American Farm Bureau Federation, and the American Association of Port Authorities.
(Photo of Port of Long Beach)