China collects port fees from US vessels in retaliation move

China is ringing the till at its ports: China has started collecting fees across its ports from US-owned, built, or flagged vessels in retaliation for the US imposing port fees on Chinese vessels earlier this year, Reuters reports, citing Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. China announced the plan on Friday, when US President Donald Trump threatened to increase tariffs on Chinese exports to the US to 100% starting 1 November.

What’s getting affected? The fees will apply to all cargo, except for empty ships entering shipyards for repairs or on Chinese-built vessels stopping in Chinese ports. The fees will be collected from US vessels at the first port entry on a single journey or for the first five voyages within the year — with the annual billing cycle starting 17 April, 2026.

It’s looking bleak: Container shipping outlook forecasts that firm earnings will continue to decline y-o-y by 4Q 2025, Judah Levine, head of research at cargo booking platform Freightos, told Bloomberg. Shipping carriers will be decreasing ship capacity, skipping transpacific journeys or ports, due to an oversupply of ships and not enough cargo, in hopes of controlling ocean freight rates.