In a note to its clients, Maersk announced that it will not apply surcharges derived from the additional tariff that the United States will charge shipping lines operating vessels built in China in its ports under the authority of Section 301 of the USTR.
Faced with the imminent entry into force of the charge, the Danish shipping line stated that “no surcharge will be applied. We do not intend to introduce any surcharge in relation to this rule”.
“Your services remain unchanged. We do not foresee adjustments to our US port rotations or your current service plans,” the company added.
The company assured that it will continue to monitor the regulatory landscape and will inform of any modifications that could generate changes in its relationship with clients.
It is worth remembering that Section 301 was implemented as a mechanism by the United States in the context of the Trade War with China as a measure to defend its interests by extending its application to the tariffs charged in ports. In this case, the levy targets vessels built in Chinese shipyards and the shipowners themselves from that Asian power with which the North American country rivals.
Specifically, Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 allows the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to investigate and take action against foreign trade practices that are considered unfair or that violate international agreements.
In the maritime-port context, this tool has been used to impose specific tariffs on vessels built in China or operated by Chinese companies, as part of a commercial pressure strategy that seeks to limit that country’s influence on infrastructure and logistics services within US territory.
Starting October 14, 2025, new port tariffs will come into effect that will directly affect shipping lines like Cosco and OOCL, forcing them to assume additional costs for calling at US ports. Both shipping lines, like Maersk, CMA CGM, among others, have indicated that they will not pass on costs to their users.
Value
The tariff that will be applied starting October 14, 2025 in the United States, under the USTR’s Section 301, amounts to USD 50 per net ton for each vessel built, operated, or owned by China that arrives at ports in that country.
This charge will be applied for each entry into the country, regardless of the number of ports called, and will increase incrementally until reaching USD 140 per net ton in April 2028.
In the case of a container ship with 70,000 net tons, the impact could range from USD 3.5 million to USD 9.8 million per call over three years.
