The US Trade Representative (USTR) will take public comment through 30 October and is suspending the implementation of port fees for Chinese vessels by two months as officials from both countries continue to negotiate broader trade issues.
The new fees were set to take effect on 10 November after the US and China agreed in November 2025 to suspend tit-for-tat maritime charges for one year as part of a broader trade agreement.
They will now take effect on 9 January if no other agreement is reached.
The temporary suspension means that no parties will accrue liability for, or be required to pay, the transport service fees or associated product duties during the extended window.
The US initially targeted the fees for ships owned, operated, or built in China in October 2025, prompting China to enact similar charges for US-linked ships entering Chinese ports.
The initial USTR proposal was published in February 2025 in the Federal Register and included proposed service fees of up to $1.5 million per US port call for vessels built in China, and up to $1 million per port call for China-based operators.
The action was taken after a Section 301 investigation determined China’s acts, policies and practices to be unreasonable and to burden or restrict US commerce.
Section 301 is a provision of the Trade Act of 1974 that allows the US to investigate and act against trade practices by foreign companies that are deemed unfair.
Brokers in the liquid bulk market are continuing to monitor the situation and are taking a wait-and-see approach before making any hard decisions.
Most liquid tankers are built in China, Japan and South Korea.
Action taken against container ships could also impact chemicals markets because while most chemicals are liquids and are shipped in tankers, container ships transport polymers, such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), are shipped pellets.
They also transport liquid chemicals by isotanks.
