Latest news with #portfees
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Maersk downplays hit from US port fees as doubts swirl over anti-China plan
When the United States unveiled plans to charge hefty fees to any China-built or operated ship entering an American port earlier this year, the shipping industry appeared to face a stark choice: cut Chinese vessels out of their fleets or see their costs soar. But months ahead of the charges coming into force, the global shipping giant Maersk insists that it will be able to avoid making that decision, casting further doubt over the US' ability to curtail the dominance of China's shipbuilders. Maersk will not raise prices for its clients due to the US port fees; nor will it exclude Chinese shipyards and shipbuilders from consideration when ordering future vessels, according to Silvia Ding, the company's Greater China president. 'Maersk has 10 per cent of its fleet that will be subject to the port fee, and we can reassign our vessels to avoid the extra cost,' she told the Post on Wednesday on the sidelines of the 2025 China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing. Ding added that Maersk would consider multiple factors when placing shipbuilding orders, including cost and technical requirements. The comments are the latest sign that the port fees – which are due to come into force in October – may have a more limited impact than some initially thought, after several moves by US officials to scale back the policy amid industry backlash.
Reuters
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
South Korea, car makers seek relief from US port fees on vehicle carriers
Seoul, July 7 (Reuters) - South Korea and the country's auto association requested on Monday relief from a U.S. plan to levy port fees on all foreign-built vehicle carriers, saying it would add a significant burden to a car industry that has pledged big investments in the United States. The U.S. Trade Representative announced the fees on April 17 as part of an ongoing effort to penalise some China-linked ships calling at U.S. ports with fees to fund a domestic shipbuilding revival and counter China's dominance on the high seas. The fees have sent shockwaves though the vehicle carrier industry, because they go beyond targeting Chinese-built and Chinese-owned ships. The Korea Automobile & Mobility Association, which represents Hyundai Motor ( opens new tab, Kia ( opens new tab and the South Korean units of General Motors (GM.N), opens new tab and Renault ( opens new tab, also raised concerns that the fees would impose "additional financial burdens on imported automobiles that are already subject to 25% tariffs," according to its comments submitted to the USTR. "Such a measure risks imposing undue costs on companies, workers and consumers in both countries," South Korea's trade ministry and maritime ministry said in separate comments. The auto association also highlighted Hyundai Motor Group's $21 billion investment plan announced by its chairman and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in March. The rule "may in turn adversely impact the contributions that Korean firms are making to U.S. commerce," it said.
