US To Impose Fees On China-Linked Ships
The United States plans to impose fees to dock at US ports on any ship that is part of a fleet that includes Chinese-built or Chinese-flagged vessels and will encourage allies to do the same or face retaliation, according to a draft executive order dated Feb. 27 and seen by Reuters on Thursday.
The Trump administration is drafting the executive order aimed at reviving domestic shipbuilding and weakening China’s grip on the global shipping industry.
The draft executive order proposes that fees should be imposed on any ship entering a US port, “regardless of where it is built or flagged, if the ship is part of a fleet that includes vessels built or flagged in the PRC (People’s Republic of China).”
The full executive order seen by Reuters on Thursday also calls on US officials to engage allies and partners to do the same or face retaliation.
The US would also impose tariffs on Chinese cargo-handling equipment, the draft order said.
"The national security and economic prosperity of the United States are increasingly threatened by the People's Republic of China's unfair trade practices in the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors," the draft order said.
Reuters reported on Wednesday about the plan to impose fees on Chinese-built vessels from a draft fact sheet of the 18-point executive order.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative proposed last month imposing fees of up to $1.5 million on Chinese-built vessels entering U.S. ports following an investigation into China's growing dominance in the global shipbuilding, maritime and logistics sectors.
Source: Investing.com
