by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor

Following the implementation of China's port fees on US-linked vessels, Danish carrier Maersk announced on 14 October that it is making temporary adjustments to the TP7 service.

The changes, which took effect immediately, impact two of its US-flagged containerships that were planned to call Chinese ports.

Maersk mentioned that the boxship Potomac Express will bypass Ningbo and instead discharge cargo at Busan, South Korea, where transit shipments will be transferred to other vessels.

"Ningbo exports to the United States will be loaded on the Maersk Luz and connect to the Potomac Express in Kwangyang on 24 October 2025," writes Maersk.

Similarly, containership Maersk Kinloss will cease calls at Ningbo, with import cargoes being discharged at a South Korean port and subsequently relayed to Ningbo and other destinations within the carrier’s network.

The carrier mentioned that exports from or via Ningbo to the United States, previously loaded onto this vessel, will now be routed to South Korea for onward transhipment.

According to Lloyd's List, the two vessels operate on Maersk’s transpacific TP7 route and were constructed in South Korea. Seaexplorer data shows that all vessels deployed on this service are US-flagged, with capacities ranging from 6200 to 6,900 TEU.

So far, this announcement marks the first reaction from a major carrier following the implementation of port fees. However, other carriers are anticipated to adjust their operations in response to the new regulations.

The impact of the United States and China's measures will vary across the global container fleet. Initial estimates by Linerlytica indicate that carriers could face up to USD 3.9 billion in the first year for calling at Chinese ports, compared to USD 1.2 billion that Chinese operators would pay for calling at US ports starting from 14 October.

For the latest port and vessel statuses or situation updates, please refer to the seaexplorer alert map.