Starting October 2025, U.S. surcharges on Chinese-built ships will reshape global trade routes, prompting major carriers like CMA CGM to bypass American ports.
From October 2025, the United States will implement port surcharges on vessels constructed in Chinese shipyards, regardless of flag or operator nationality. Under the new policy, finalized by the U.S. Trade Representative, affected ships will pay $18 per net ton or $120 per container per ship rotation, capped at five chargeable rotations per year.
The move is part of Washington’s broader maritime strategy to boost domestic shipbuilding and curb China’s dominance in commercial vessel construction. Industry stakeholders have warned that the fees could disrupt established supply chains, elevate freight rates, and shift cargo volumes toward non-U.S. gateways.
Global carriers are already adapting. French liner CMA CGM, with a fleet of about 670 ships—fewer than half built in China—has announced redeployment plans to avoid U.S. calls for impacted vessels (Reuters). Analysts expect other operators to follow suit, potentially diverting traffic to Canadian, Mexican, or European ports.
The initial proposal for higher surcharges was scaled back after industry pushback over potential economic fallout (The Guardian). Experts suggest the measure may accelerate diversification of newbuild orders toward South Korea, Japan, and emerging Southeast Asian shipyards, while testing the resilience of global logistics networks in the coming years.
Sources
- Reuters – France's CMA CGM redeploys fleet to avoid U.S. port fees on Chinese vessels, 2025-05-16.
- The Guardian – US unveils new port fees on Beijing-linked vessels to reverse Chinese dominance, 2025-04-18.