Trump Proposes New Ship Fees to Challenge China’s Maritime Might

The Trump administration is proposing fees on the use of China’s commercial ships it says could help counter the country’s maritime dominance. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative outlined a plan for fees on Chinese-built ships that transport traded goods as well as mandates requiring a portion of U.S. products to be moved on American vessels.

The proposal, announced on February 21, springs from a trade investigation into China’s practices in the maritime, logistics and shipbuilding industries that began under the Biden administration and concluded with a report just four days before President Donald Trump took office. The U.S. inquiry concluded that Beijing was unfairly dominating the sectors and said “urgent action” was needed to address the issue.

If adopted, however, the proposed fees could translate to additional costs for American consumers, since higher shipping costs could be passed on in the form of higher prices. It’s also not clear that the proposals would be enough to r…