US delays port fees for Chinese ships again – now until 9 January

After all the hooting, it seems the US is keen to again delay implementation of planned port fees for China-linked vessels, with the US Trade Representative (USTR) requesting the delay to give Washington and Beijing more time to negotiate.

The USTR asked that the measure intended to penalise China’s maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors remain suspended through to 9 January, with the initial suspension set to expire on 9 November.

“The US is continuing to engage with China with the goal of obtaining the elimination of the acts, policies, and practices at issue in the investigation. The trade representative is therefore proposing to further suspend for two months,” it stated.

The USTR also said it was “requesting comments from any interested person” about the proposed suspension, giving any interested party until the end of this week to file comments.

Under the measures, non-Chinese companies using Chinese-built vessels to call at US ports face charges of $50 per net tonne, while Chinese companies will be subject to fees of $18 per net ton or $120 per container discharged, depending on which is higher.

That marked a dramatic downturn on the threatened $1m fee per US port call, or $1,000 per net tonne the Trump administration had initially proposed during its more aggressive approach to China diplomacy.

For shippers, the proposed extension offers temporary certainty, although the notice from the USTR gives no indication as to what will happen if the suspension does come into effect, but no long-term agreement is inked between the two sides before it expires.