China extends suspension of US ship port charges until January

China will continue to suspend special port charges on US-linked ships until Jan. 10, 2027, the Ministry of Transport said on Nov. 9, as Beijing and Washington maintain a temporary truce amid an ongoing US-China trade dispute.

On its website, the ministry announced a two-month extension of the existing suspension that had been due to expire Nov. 9, saying the decision, with State Council approval, was made to implement the outcome of a recent round of China-US trade talks.

Beijing will also continue to suspend an investigation into the impact of US measures on the security and development interests of China's shipping, shipbuilding and related industrial and supply chains over the same period, according to the announcement.

The latest Chinese extension came after the US Trade Representative proposed keeping its port charges against Chinese ships suspended for a further two months through Jan. 9, 2027.

The move by Washington and Beijing effectively prolongs a reciprocal pause in maritime measures that had threatened to increase costs for shipowners, commodity and energy traders and container shippers while altering ship deployment between the world's two largest economies.

China introduced the special port fees in October 2025 on ships built, flagged in the US or at least 25% owned by US entities, in retaliation for US Section 301 measures targeting China's maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors. The US measures included port service fees on Chinese-owned and operated ships, as well as China-built vessels calling at US ports.

Beijing subsequently suspended its fees for one year from Nov. 10, 2025, after the US paused its own maritime measures following bilateral economic and trade talks.

The measures had drawn particular scrutiny from shipping and commodity markets because of China's dominant position in global commercial shipbuilding and the widespread use of China-built tonnage across tanker, dry bulk and container markets, as well as the US' position as the top capital market for listed shipping companies.

US industry groups have warned that reinstating the US fees could increase transportation costs and influence ship deployment, while potentially adding costs for agricultural and energy exporters.

Chinese-operated and -owned ships had transported 31 % of US ethane exports year to date in 2026, S&P Global Commodities at Sea analysts said in an Oct. 21 note.