Businesses Uncertain Who Will Pay New Port Fees Charged on Chinese Ships

New U.S. port fees are set to be charged on Chinese ships beginning Oct. 14, but U.S. businesses are reportedly uncertain who will ultimately pay them.

Carriers say they don’t plan to pass on the costs to importers and exporters, but some businesses are concerned that may change, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Wednesday (Sept. 17).

The report noted that a reduction of trade flows has stoked competition among carriers and made them reluctant to raise prices for fear that it would cost them business.

Some carriers have told customers they currently have no plans to raise prices in response to the fees, though they reserve the right to do so in the future, according to the report.

Still, though carriers are absorbing the costs of the port fees now, businesses worry that they will choose instead to pass them along to customers in the future, the report said.

In addition, the fees to bring a Chinese ship to the U.S. are set to increase annually, per the report. It’sestimated that they will rise from the initial fees of between $1 million and $2.7 million to between $1.9 million and $7.4 million in 2028.

When the United States Trade Representative announced its plan to implement these new fees, it said it aimed to restore American shipbuilding and address “China’s unreasonable acts, policies and practices to dominate the maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors.”

“Ships and shipping are vital to American economic security and the free flow of commerce,” Ambassador Jamieson Greer said in an April 17 press release. “The Trump administration’s actions will begin to reverse Chinese dominance, address threats to the U.S. supply chain, and send a demand signal for U.S.-built ships.”

It was reported Sept. 9 that U.S. import cargo volumes are projected to decline for the remainder of 2025 due to the complex tariff environment.

In August, it was reported that six months of White House tariffs have left American businesses wrestling with pricing decisions. The report said that while businesses have largely absorbed the cost of the new levies, they are now facing tough decisions as their pre-tariff inventories run out.

For all PYMNTS B2B coverage, subscribe to the daily B2B Newsletter.