A new initiative, first announced a couple of months ago and revitalized and issued again last week, is being rolled out that will shift the balance of global shipbuilding. It’s goal is to reinforce American maritime capabilities and to reduce Chinese dominance in shipping. The multi-phase approach will begin after a 6-month introductory period. The first 180 days act as a grace period where no new fees apply. This provides an opportunity for companies to evaluate their logistics strategies.
Beginning in the fall, new fees will be phased in gradually over the next three years. These fees can be categorized as follows:
Chinese Vessel Operators Using Chinese-Built Ships:
Ships owned or operated by Chinese entities will face a fee based on net tonnage (NT) per U.S. voyage. It starts at $50/NT and will increase by $30/NT each year for the next three years.
Non-Chinese Vessel Operators Using Chinese-Built Ships:
Operators using Chinese-built vessels will be charged either $18/NT or $120 per container. These rates will also increase annually reaching around $154 per container by year two.
Non-U.S.-Built Car Carriers:
To encourage use of American-built car carriers, companies using foreign-built carriers will be charged based on capacity—$150 per Car Equivalent Unit (CEU) starting at the 180-day mark.
LNG Vessel Restrictions – Starting in 3 Years:
Restrictions on transporting liquified natural gas (LNG) via foreign-built vessels will be introduced gradually over 22 years. This long runway is designed to incentivize investment in American-built LNG ships while avoiding immediate disruption to energy exports.
The fees are per voyage and not per port call – an update from the initial strategy from a few months ago. Plus, each vessel will only be charged up to five times per year.
Companies that show proof they’ve ordered a U.S.-built ship can get a three-year suspension on equivalent fees or restrictions for a non-U.S.-built vessel but they must take delivery of that vessel within that three-year period.
These fees don’t apply to Great Lakes or Caribbean shipping, U.S. territories, or bulk commodity exports when ships arrive in the U.S. empty.
