It has been announced prior to trade talks commencing between the US and Chinese governments, that starting from 14th October 2025, China has imposed, as a counter-measure to the American USTR tonnage tax, additional charges on US ships berthing in the first named country.

The Chinese Ministry of Transport has stated that these additional charges will be imposed on vessels owned or operated by U.S. firms and individuals, or those built in the United States, or that fly the U.S. flag.  Such Vessels would be subjected to a 400 yuan ($56) per net ton fee per voyage if they dock in China, China’s Ministry of Transport said on Friday.

The fees would be applied on the same ship for a maximum of five voyages each year, and would rise every year until 2028, when it would hike to 1,120 yuan ($157) per net ton, the ministry said. They would take effect on Oct. 14, the same day when the United States is due to start imposing port fees on Chinese vessels.

In a statement released on Friday, China’s Ministry of Transport said that its special fees on American vessels are “countermeasures” in response to “wrongful” U.S. practices, referring to the planned U.S. port fees on Chinese vessels.

The ministry also slammed the United States’ port fees as “discriminatory” and would “severely damage the legitimate interests of China’s shipping industry” and “seriously undermine” the international economic and trade order.

These charges look similar to those imposed on Chinese vessels berthing in the USA, and the fear is that they could promote further instability on the Transpacific route.  However, dependent on the outcome of trade negotiations, these higher tonnage taxes could be reduced or removed by both governments.

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