US Fee Suspension on Chinese Ships Expires November 9
The US Trade Representative has proposed extending the pause on Section 301 maritime fees targeting Chinese-built vessels by two months.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in International Trade
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The US Trade Representative's suspension of Section 301 maritime fees on Chinese-built vessels expires on November 9. The USTR published a proposal in the Federal Register on October 26 to extend the suspension by two months.
Why it matters
The fees, which took effect on October 14, 2025, were proposed at $1.5 million per US port call by a Chinese-built vessel and were suspended less than a month later. Carriers serving Caribbean routes, including Bermuda Container Line, have argued the fees would sharply raise shipping costs.
The proposed fee of $1.5 million per US port call would cost Bermuda Container Line about $76 million per year against total annual revenues of roughly $30 million. Whether the suspension is extended beyond November 9 remains undetermined.
The players
Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR)
The US federal agency responsible for trade policy and negotiations, which imposed and then suspended the Section 301 maritime fees.
Bermuda Container Line
A shipping carrier that imports US goods on the Chinese-built vessel MV Oleander and testified against the fees.
Caricom Private Sector Organisation (CPSO)
A regional business body representing about 6,250 firms in the Caribbean Community, which requested that the fee exemption continue.
The details
The USTR says a further extension would give time to negotiate with China over practices that led to Chinese domination of maritime trade. Smaller vessels and voyages under 2,000 nautical miles were exempted from the fees after they were proposed, and the Caricom Private Sector Organisation and CPSO-US Business Council have asked that the exemption continue.
Timeline
October 14, 2025: Section 301 maritime fees took effect.
April 2025: Bermuda Container Line testified against the fees at a USTR hearing.
October 26: USTR published its extension proposal in the Federal Register.
November 9: The year-long fee suspension expires.
Market Dynamics
The fees were imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, the same statute the US has used to pursue trade measures against China. The USTR's stated purpose of negotiating over Chinese dominance of maritime trade places the suspension within a broader push on shipping and trade practices.
Shipping carriers and importers serving Caribbean routes face cost changes depending on whether the suspension is extended past November 9. Companies that rely on freight from China-built vessels should track the USTR's final decision on the proposed two-month extension.
The takeaway
Trade policy on shipping can change quickly, so businesses exposed to freight costs on affected routes should monitor USTR notices before the November 9 deadline.
What happens next
The USTR's proposal to extend the fee suspension by two months will determine whether the fees return after the November 9 expiration.
Further reading
For broader context on how trade fees and tariffs move across borders, see International Trade.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Royal Gazette.
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