Ports News Updates

President Donald Trump's return to the White House in January kicked off a roller coaster year for manufacturers, retailers and other U.S. industries dependent on goods from abroad.

The U.S. is pushing forward on President Trump’s pledge to pause penalties aimed at China’s shipbuilding industry, a key concession in his interim trade pact with counterpart Xi Jinping.

From Nov. 10, the U.S. will pause measures designed to combat China’s shipping dominance, the White House said. Meanwhile, Beijing said it would suspend the countermeasures it imposed.

International shipping has been roiled by retaliatory port charges levied by the U.S. and China on each others’ ships in recent months, a move that pushed up freight costs.

Beijing and Washington have sparred over shipping, with China introducing a hefty extra fee on vessels known to have American links, following a similar U.S. move.

The Chinese fees, which were in a response to a similar move by Washington, have upended Asian oil trading as shippers and traders assess their exposure to charges.

Cosco Shipping, already expected to report weaker third-quarter earnings, could face an additional $1.5 billion to $2.1 billion in fees in 2026.

China announced Oct. 10 that it would impose fees on U.S. ships in retaliation for similar measures due to be imposed by the Trump administration Oct. 14.

They would take effect on Oct. 14, the same day that the United States is due to start imposing port fees on Chinese vessels.

The U.S. is set to start charging large Chinese vessels millions of dollars when they call at American ports from Oct. 14.