New port fees from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) will apply to vessels linked to China beginning October 14.
As reported by splash247, BIMCO calculated that only one-third of tanker and container vessels are expected to fall under the scope of the new fees. In contrast, 45% of bulkers are expected to be impacted by the rate increases, while the containership segment has less exposure because of more vessel exemptions and a smaller share of Chinese-owned or operated vessels.
As gCaptain reported, BIMCO’s review of planned sailings on East/West trade routes by the ten largest operators found that fewer than 20% of ships scheduled to call at U.S. ports would be subject to the fees.
Meanwhile, a report by splash247 cited Alphaliner’s estimate that the top ten container carriers could face a combined total of $3.2 billion in port fees in 2026. In response, several major carriers have either removed Chinese-built ships from their U.S. routes or committed not to pass the additional costs onto customers.
gCaptain also reported that BIMCO’s chief shipping analyst, Niels Rasmussen, acknowledged the potential for short-term rate volatility due to confusion as the new fees come into effect.