USTR Proposes Keeping China Ship Fees on Hold Until Jan 9, 2027
A set of US port fees on Chinese-built and Chinese-operated ships has been on hold for a year, and the pause was due to end on November 9. Now the US Trade Representative wants to keep it on hold a little longer. On October 26, 2026, USTR proposed extending the suspension through January 9, 2027. For importers who ship from China by ocean, this affects freight cost risk going into early 2027.
What USTR proposed
- Two more months. USTR is "proposing to modify the action ... to further suspend that action for two months, through January 9, 2027," according to the Federal Register notice (Oct 26, 2026). The extra suspension would run from November 10, 2026 to January 9, 2027.
- What is covered. No one would owe the service fees on maritime transport in Annexes I, II and III of the April 2025 action, or the Annex V.A duties on cargo-handling equipment such as ship-to-shore cranes, during that period.
- Why. The stated reason is "to allow for further negotiation with China." A USTR statement quoted by gCaptain (Oct 23, 2026) said the US is "continuing to engage with China with the goal of obtaining the elimination of the acts, policies, and practices at issue."
- Comments. Written comments were due by 5 p.m. ET on October 30, 2026 (docket USTR-2026-0694), so a final decision could come before November 9.
How we got here
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Apr 17, 2025 | USTR takes action in its Section 301 investigation of China's maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors |
| Oct 14, 2025 | First fees scheduled to start |
| Nov 1, 2025 | White House announces a trade deal with China including a one-year suspension |
| Nov 10, 2025 | Suspension begins (through Nov 9, 2026) |
| Oct 26, 2026 | USTR proposes extending the suspension to Jan 9, 2027 |
Sources: Federal Register notices of Oct 26, 2026 and Apr 23, 2025; Supply Chain Dive (Oct 26, 2026).
The fees that are on hold
Under the April 23, 2025 notice, Chinese vessel owners and operators would pay $50 per net ton from October 14, 2025, rising to $80 in April 2026, $110 in 2027 and $140 in 2028. Chinese-built vessels would pay the higher of a per-net-ton fee ($18 rising to $33) or a fee per container discharged, which was set to climb from $120 to $250 by 2028. Fees could be charged up to five times a year per vessel.
Supply Chain Dive (Oct 26, 2026) reports that trade groups wrote to USTR on September 28 urging an extension, warning that new or resumed fees "would create immediate and far-reaching consequences." gCaptain notes that China also suspended its retaliatory fees on US-linked vessels, and that the US notice does not say whether China will extend its own pause.
What it means for importers (our analysis)
No new fee shock before January. If finalized, the extension removes the risk that carriers add new port-fee surcharges on China–US lanes in late 2026, during the final weeks of peak season.
But the risk is only postponed. A two-month extension is short. If talks stall, fees could return on January 10, 2027, just as importers plan spring and pre-Chinese New Year shipments. Carriers could pass costs on through surcharges.
Watch your freight contracts. Check whether your ocean contracts or forwarder quotes let carriers add new regulatory surcharges, and how much notice they must give.
Keep the bigger tariff picture in view. Port fees are separate from product tariffs. Also watch the Section 301 exclusions expiring November 9 and any changes to duty rates on your products.
Checklist for China-to-US importers
- Watch for USTR's final decision before November 9.
- Ask your forwarder how carriers would pass on port fees if they return in January.
- Review surcharge clauses in your ocean contracts.
- Plan Q1 2027 shipments with a cost buffer in case fees resume.
- Track China's response on its own port-fee suspension.
How Atronia Innovations can help
We help Chinese factories and brands plan US inventory and channels as trade costs change, with teams in Shenzhen and Los Angeles. Talk to our team about your 2027 plan.
Sources
- Federal Register — Request for comments on further suspension of Section 301 action (Oct 26, 2026)
- Federal Register (GovInfo) — Notice of action in Section 301 investigation of China's maritime sector, 90 FR 17114 (Apr 23, 2025)
- Supply Chain Dive — USTR weighs extending pause on China-linked vessel fees to January (Oct 26, 2026)
- gCaptain — USTR proposes extending China ship port fee suspension through January 2027 (Oct 23, 2026)
