Bloomberg reported on the 27th that the United States may extend by another two months the suspension of fees imposed on China-linked ships calling at U.S. ports. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) said in a notice on Monday (Oct. 26) local time that if the proposal is approved, the China-U.S. port fee suspension arrangement, originally set to expire in early November this year, will be extended to January 9, 2027.

Last year, the USTR announced that starting November 10, 2025, the United States would suspend for one year port fees on certain China-built vessels, vessels operated by Chinese shipowners or operators, and foreign-built car carriers calling at U.S. ports. China’s Ministry of Transport issued a corresponding announcement suspending the collection of special port fees on U.S. ships and suspending investigations into the impact on the security and development interests of the shipping industry, shipbuilding industry and related industrial and supply chains, stating that the suspension would last one year.

Last month, more than 200 trade groups, cargo owner associations and shipping-related groups urged U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to extend the existing Section 301 vessel fee suspension measures. The stakeholders expressed concern in a letter that the fees could further exacerbate uncertainty in the ocean freight market, which is currently under pressure from rising transport costs and carrier capacity adjustments. The signatories included the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the World Shipping Council (WSC) and the Chamber of Shipping of America.