It has been reported that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will collect port fees and be responsible for enforcing and collecting fees on Chinese-owned, operated, or built vessels starting October 14, 2025, under the U.S. Trade Representative's (USTR) Section 301 measures framework. Vessels that fail to pay as required may be prohibited from loading or unloading cargo or have their port departure permits withheld.
According to industry sources, the CBP Finance Office is working with the U.S. Treasury to develop a new, standalone port fee payment form on the official payment platform Pay.gov. This form will support direct debits from bank accounts and require information such as vessel identification, port of arrival, estimated arrival date, payer information, and fee items.
Starting October 14, 2025, the U.S. will impose a tax on Chinese-owned or operated vessels, starting at $50 per net ton in the first year and increasing annually thereafter to $140 per net ton in 2028.
Vessels built solely in China but not owned by Chinese capital will be subject to significantly lower fees, with tankers and dry bulk carriers mostly exempt. However, port fees must be paid at US$18/net ton or US$120/TEU in the first year, and will increase annually to US$33/net ton or US$250/TEU, whichever is higher.
