The US and China have agreed to suspend their recently introduced reciprocal port fees for a period of one year, as part of a broader effort to de-escalate tensions in their maritime and trade relationship.
The dispute began when the US announced new charges under its Section 301 investigation on vessels built, owned, operated or flagged in China, introducing fees that were set to add millions of dollars per voyage for Chinese-linked ships entering US ports.
Beijing responded by announcing “special port service fees” on vessels with US ownership, operation, build or flag-status calling at Chinese ports.
Following the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, the two governments announced a 12-month suspension of both the US fees and China’s counter-measures.
The pause removes short-term cost pressures for shipping lines and may relieve some of the uncertainty that has affected vessel deployment and port scheduling in recent months.
Lars Jensen, CEO of Vespucci Maritime, said: “While this points to some de-escalation in the trade dispute, there remains uncertainty given the one-year scope of the agreements and limited detail confirmed by both sides.”
With fees deferred, port operators can refocus on container flows, ship scheduling, and hinterland connectivity instead of rerouting or cost avoidance.
Yet, operators will continue to monitor developments closely, given the risk that new trade or maritime measures may be reinstated at the end of the suspension period.
In August, the US and China agreed to extend their tariff suspension by 90 days, pushing the tariff escalation deadline to 10 November 2025.
