by Lloyd's List

CHINA’S Ministry of Transport has hit back at the US by levying port fees targeting US-operated, -owned, -flagged and -built vessels in retaliation to the US Trade Representative’s Section 301 measures.

Implementation of the USTR port fees will take place next Tuesday, October 14. China will also implement its port fees on the same day.

Vessels owned and/or operated by US enterprises, organisations or individuals will be subject to these fees.

This includes US entities that directly or indirectly have a 25% stake in vessels owned or operated by other non-US entities.

US-flagged and -built vessels will also be subject to Chinese port fees.

Charges start at $56 (Yuan 400) per tonne from October 14.

This will increase to $90 (Yuan 640) per tonne on April 17, 2026, and subsequently to $123 (Yuan 880) per tonne on April 17, 2027, and finally to $157 (Yuan 1,120) per tonne in 2028 (April 17).

Vessels calling at multiple ports on the same voyage will only be charged at the first port of call, with no further fees charged at subsequent ports.

Each vessel will only be subject to Chinese port fees five times a year. No port fees will be levied thereafter, at least for that year.

The ministry said that more details on the implementation will follow.

The announcement comes amid recent speculation that Beijing was preparing to hit back with reciprocal port fees, on the back of amendments that were made to a key maritime rulebook in China.

Some brokers expect very large crude carrier time charter equivalent rates to rise on the back of the fees and recent sanctions on a terminal in Qingdao.