Following high-level discussions between the presidents of the United States and China in South Korea on October 30, both nations have agreed to suspend their respective port call fees for a one-year period.
As reported by The Loadstar, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) confirmed a pause on Section 301-related port fees. China’s Ministry of Commerce announced a reciprocal suspension of its own measures. Introduced on October 14, the port fees had prompted shipping lines to revise service rotations and reassign vessels.
Industry analyst Lars Jensen, CEO of Vespucci Maritime, noted on LinkedIn that while suspending port call fees brings short-term relief, carriers are expected to maintain their current fleet deployments. He wrote, “It is unknown when the vessel fees will be suspended. Given this is a time-limited suspension, it would likely see shipping lines maintain a deployment stance whereby they to some degree still abide by the restrictions and certainly keep a plan for vessel-reshuffling handy.”
Jensen said the postponement does show some de-escalation between the two superpowers. “But there is not necessarily a long-term certainty of the trade environment given that some of these agreements are 1-year only,” he pointed out. This latest development averts a threatened 100% tariff on Chinese imports, which would have gone into effect on November 1.
In connection with these measures, the United States announced a 10% reduction in tariffs on Chinese goods, bringing the new rate to 47% following the meeting with China.
In light of continued uncertainty in its trade relationship with the U.S., China is strengthening economic partnerships across Asia to reinforce regional stability. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China signed an upgraded and expanded version of their free trade agreement at the 28th ASEAN–China Summit in Kuala Lumpur on October 28, 2025. The enhanced China–ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA 3.0) expands coverage to include digital economy, green economy, and supply chain connectivity.
According to a released statement on the official English-language website of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said the agreement is expected to strengthen regional trade stability. “It is not just an expansion of economic cooperation, but also a key step towards helping the region to walk away from the reliance on low-end manufacturing and achieve high-quality development,” Sun Xiao, secretary-general of the China Chamber of International Commerce, said.
Source: The Loadstar, Vespucci Maritime, State Council of the People’s Republic of China