Trump’s new port fees hit US freight ship owner with $34 million annual tariff bill
The fees, effective Oct. 14, 2025, target ships built in China, ships owned or operated by Chinese companies and certain foreign-made vehicle carriers calling at U.S. ports.
Previously, port charges for ships were significantly lower; It varied by port but was generally a fraction of the new fees now imposed under Section 301 tariff programs.
Atlantic Container Line (ACL), a major player in transatlantic shipping, has seen its ships reclassified under the updated Section 301 tariff schedule, leading to a significant increase in port charges.
ACL’s ships, which often carry containers along with vehicles and heavy equipment, now face port fees of $18 to $50 per net ton every time they enter a U.S. port. Since each ship makes multiple US calls per year, the total annual cost of the ACL is estimated at approximately $34 million.
“That means charging 25 ships $1.4 million a year; we’re looking at a total tariff of $34 million a year,” ACL CEO Andrew Abbott told CNBC. The freight carrier warned that these costs could force it to reconsider its US operations and threaten transatlantic trade routes and supply chains. The fee structure aims to counter China’s dominance in global shipbuilding and shipping logistics. The fees are intended to encourage American shipbuilding and reduce reliance on Chinese-made ships, which make up a large portion of the global fleet. The Part 301 port fee action was announced by the USTR in April 2025 and became effective on October 14, 2025. Although major ocean carriers have covered some fees so far, analysts predict that the additional costs will eventually be passed on to consumers in the form of higher shipping rates and product prices. Chinese officials retaliated by equalizing port fees on US-owned or flagged ships operating in Chinese ports, increasing trade tensions.
USTR has granted exemptions for government cargo and some privately owned U.S.-flagged ships, but this policy remains a significant economic impediment for shipping companies operating on these trade routes.
This tariff increase is seen as part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to regain manufacturing competitiveness and reduce strategic vulnerabilities in supply chains linked to China.
