China has announced that it will impose so-called “special port fees” on vessels linked to the United States, part of a broader retaliatory response to a new U.S. maritime fee regime targeting Chinese-associated ships.
Under the announcement, China’s transport authorities said that ships owned by U.S. companies or foreign vessels built in the U.S. docking at Chinese ports will be charged a fee of RMB 400 per tonne beginning October 14, with planned annual increases rising eventually to RMB 1,200 per tonne by April 2028. The move is widely understood as a counterpart measure to fees that the U.S. has recently adopted on Chinese-linked ships docking at U.S. ports.
Beijing’s declaration comes after China’s State Council amended international shipping regulations to permit such countermeasures, including imposing special charges, restricting access to Chinese ports, or denying certain maritime services to ships it deems discriminatory. The Chinese government has framed its response as defending its sovereign rights and protecting its shipping industry from what it characterises as unjust U.S. policies.
Analysts say the fees will escalate tension in global shipping and heighten uncertainty in trade corridors. The new Chinese fees mirror the structure of U.S. fees announced earlier in 2025, which require China-owned ships or vessels built in China to pay a per-tonne or per-container charge when calling on U.S. ports. The U.S. scheme begins October 14th and is part of Washington’s push to prod domestic shipbuilding and counter China’s dominance in maritime trade.
Some shipping firms have already begun adjusting their deployment of vessels to avoid exposure or reduce costs, including shifting routes, off-loading Chinese-built ships from certain services, or reflagging. But the full impact remains uncertain: questions linger over how strictly China will enforce the new charges, how shipping alliances will respond, and whether further escalation could disrupt supply chains.
In diplomatic and trade terms, the move underlines the tit-for-tat dynamic between Beijing and Washington, with both sides seeking leverage in maritime and logistics domains. The special port fees will serve not only as economic penalties, but also symbolic messages about sovereignty, retaliation, and control over global shipping norms.
