The Trump administration’s upcoming port fee policy, set to take effect in October, is creating ripples across the global shipbuilding industry, particularly in China.

The new fees, which will apply to Chinese-built and Chinese-operated vessels calling at US ports from October 14th, include an $18 per net tonne charge, with a minimum of $120 per container. Additionally, Chinese-owned carriers will face an extra $50 per net tonne fee.

China has for some time been the undisputed leader in global shipbuilding, but its market share has started to drop as a likely result of these new fees.

In the first half of 2025, the number of new shipbuilding orders placed with Chinese shipyards has notably decreased. Previously commanding 72% of the global market, China’s share has now fallen to 52%, signaling the growing impact of these regulatory changes.

While China still maintains the largest portion of new shipbuilding orders worldwide, the downturn in business reflects a shift in the global shipping landscape, with increasing uncertainty surrounding how carriers will adapt to the new costs.

The move by the US comes at a time when global shipping services have been in a constant state of flux, with factors such as trade wars, labor shortages, port congestion and geopolitical tensions already disrupting the industry.

There is the chance that the proposed port fees may be diluted as part of the ongoing trade talks between the US and China, but we are not holding our breath.

As industry stakeholders, Multifreight will be closely monitoring the situation and will provide further updates as more information becomes available.