China has confirmed the imposition of “special port fees” on US-linked vessels, a move responding to recent actions by Washington
The Chinese Ministry of Transport announced on 10 October that these fees will take effect from 14 October 2025. According to the ministry, the action comes in response to measures by the US Trade Representative, which China said “violate international trade principles and the US–China Maritime Agreement, causing severe disruption to maritime trade between the two countries.”
China’s measures apply to:
Fee structure
The fees are calculated per voyage, based on net tonnage:
The ministry clarified that the maritime administration at the port of call will be responsible for collecting the fees.
“If a vessel calls at multiple Chinese ports during the same voyage, the special port service fee shall be paid only at the first port of call; subsequent ports will not charge again. The same vessel shall not be charged for more than five voyages per year,” the ministry said.
US port fees
Riviera recently reported that the US outlined payment rules for port fees imposed on Chinese-linked entities. Under Annex 1, a fee of US$50 per net tonne applies to arriving vessels owned or operated by a Chinese entity. Annex 2 establishes the higher of US$18 per net tonne or US$120 per discharged container for arriving vessels built in China. Under Annex 3, a fee of US$14 per net tonne applies to arriving vessels classified as vehicle carriers or /roll-off vessels.
