How New U.S. Port Fees Hit Import Prices

Published on October 15, 2025 | Prices Last Reviewed for Freshness: November 2025
Written by Alec Pow - Economic & Pricing Investigator | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

Educational content; not financial advice. Prices are estimates; confirm current rates, fees, taxes, and terms with providers or official sources.

TL;DR: New U.S. port-entry fees on China-linked vessels started October 14, 2025. For a typical LA-LB container call, the math implies roughly $300 per TEU now, stepping to about $840 per TEU by April 2028 under Annex I. A 60,000-net-ton bulk call pencils to $50 per ton now and $140 per ton by 2028. Fees can be charged up to five times per vessel per year, and carriers are already passing them through as surcharges. China imposed reciprocal fees of RMB 400–1,120 per net ton, with early cases adding about $7/bbl on some VLCC voyages. For quick budgeting by value density: $300/TEU is roughly 1.5% of a $20,000/TEU shipment, 0.75% of $40,000/TEU, and 0.375% of $80,000/TEU; at $840/TEU the same ratios are about 4.2%, 2.1%, and 1.05%.

$300 per TEU now, $840 by 2028, charged up to five times per vessel per year.

What changed and when

On October 14, 2025, the United States began charging special Section 301 “service fees” on vessels tied to China. There are two central buckets that matter for importers. First, vessels owned or operated by a Chinese entity pay $50 per net ton now, rising to $80, $110, then $140 by April 2028. Second, Chinese-built vessels of any flag or owner pay the higher of a per-net-ton fee starting at $18 and rising to $33, or a per-container fee starting at $120 and rising to $250 by April 2028. A frequency cap applies, with fees charged up to five times per vessel per year (see Clyde & Co, 2025).

China answered in kind the same day with RMB 400 per net ton in 2025, stepping up to RMB 1,120 by 2028 for U.S.-linked ships. Early market reporting shows the Chinese fee can add more than $7 per barrel to some crude shipments, roughly $15 million on a VLCC voyage (Reuters, Oct 15, 2025). A maritime alert from SAFETY4SEA notes exemptions and scope details are still being refined.

A quick glossary to avoid confusion. The IMO Tonnage Convention defines net tonnage as a formula-based index of cargo space volume. TEU means a 20-foot container equivalent, FEU is a 40-foot equivalent equal to two TEU.

One-liner: Fees are live, escalate each April through 2028, and can be charged up to five times per vessel per year. USTR and CBP have told operators to prepay, or risk holds on lading, unlading, or clearance (CBP CSMS, Oct 3, 2025).

Plain words explainer: If a ship is Chinese-run, the U.S. now bills it on its size. If it is Chinese-built, the U.S. bills it on the higher of its size or how many boxes it unloads. Most carriers will add a new line on your invoice and pass that bill to you.

Per container and per ton

Here is a clean worked model you can reuse. We reference the tables below for the annual step-ups and a sensitivity view.

Container call at Los Angeles–Long Beach, 10,000 TEU discharged. Assume a workhorse 10,000-TEU ship with 60,000 net tons. Under Annex I in 2025, $50 per net ton yields $3,000,000 per call. Spread across 10,000 TEU, that is $300 per TEU. Under 2028’s $140 per net ton, the call pays $8,400,000, or $840 per TEU. A ±10 percent sensitivity on net tonnage or discharge mix gives $270–$330 per TEU in 2025 and $756–$924 per TEU in 2028. If Annex II applied instead, the higher-of rule means the per-container ladder can bind when it exceeds the per-net-ton result.

Bulk call at a Gulf port, 60,000 net tons. Opening rate $50 per net ton implies $3,000,000 per call, or $50 per ton on a stylized 60,000-ton parcel. In 2028, $140 per net ton implies $8,400,000, or $140 per ton. The same ±10 percent sensitivity gives $45–$55 per ton in 2025 and $126–$154 per ton in 2028.

Quick formulas you can reuse
Per-TEU uplift (Annex I)  = (Fee_per_NT × Net_Tonnage) ÷ TEU_discharged
Per-ton uplift (Annex I)  = Fee_per_NT
Value-share (%)           = Per-TEU_Uplift ÷ TEU_Landed_Value
Annex II break-even TEU   = (Fee_per_NT × Net_Tonnage) ÷ Fee_per_box

Annex II quick check (Chinese-built vessel, 60,000 NT, 10,000 TEU)

Rule of thumb: Annex II switches to per-container when TEU > (Fee_per_NT × NT) ÷ Fee_per_box. With 60,000 NT in 2025, the break-even is (18×60,000)/120 ≈ 9,000 TEU.

For freight context, the Drewry World Container Index recently printed $1,651/FEU, the lowest since January 2024. A $300–$840/TEU surcharge is therefore a large share of the box rate, and it sits on top of ocean freight rather than replacing it (Oct 9, 2025).

Who pays and how it appears on the bill

The legal obligation rests with the vessel operator or owner when the triggering conditions are met. In practice, carriers have indicated they will pass through these costs as a surcharge line, often labeled “USTR Section 301 Vessel Fee Surcharge,” timed around the port call. CBP has instructed operators to pay in advance, warning that lacking proof of payment can hold up lading, unlading, or clearance (CBP CSMS, Oct 3, 2025).

Real cases. Reuters reports China’s reciprocal fee added more than $7/bbl on a VLCC hauling crude to China, or roughly $15 million in special charges on a single voyage. U.S. notices outline that a Chinese-owned container ship of around 60,000 NT calling at Long Beach would owe $3,000,000 at the 2025 rate, which carriers expect to recover through contract-governed surcharges.

Port-by-port impact snapshot

West Coast. Los Angeles–Long Beach concentrates container exposure. The 10,000-TEU discharge model produces $300/TEU in 2025 and $840/TEU in 2028 under Annex I assumptions. Frequency caps matter for vessels rotating frequently through Southern California, since charges are limited to five per hull per year (see Clyde & Co above).

Gulf. Houston and nearby Gulf ports handle energy, petrochemicals, and bulk cargo. Public hearing testimony and trade advisories flagged strong concern about pass-through. For a 60,000-NT bulk movement, $3,000,000 in 2025 or $8,400,000 in 2028 reshapes netbacks and can push cargo to alternate routings or handoffs.

East Coast. New York–New Jersey sees diversified flows. Electronics and apparel have higher value density than furniture, so per-TEU fees are a smaller share of landed value. PortEconomics pegs average global containerized trade values at roughly $54,000/TEU, which makes $300 about 0.6% and $840 about 1.6% of value, with wide variation by commodity.

How much reaches shelf prices

Start with value density and pass-through behavior. High-value electronics often dilute the per-box charge, so the $300 uplift equates to well under two percent of landed value in many cases, and $840 often sits near one to two percent. Bulky, lower-value categories like furniture show larger percentage impacts and tend to pass through faster. Apparel sits in the middle, with large SKUs absorbing pennies per unit and small SKUs seeing dime-level increases.

Market prints matter. A composite rate near $1,651/FEU means the new fees can be a substantial fraction of freight, especially on backhaul or low-rate corridors, yet they remain one component of total landed cost. As contracts reset, retailers may spread surcharges across SKUs to steady pricing (see Drewry above).

For shoppers: most gadgets change by cents to a couple of dollars per unit, apparel by cents, and large furniture by dollars to tens of dollars once the 2028 ladder is fully in effect.

Routing and behavior shifts

Carriers and BCOs are testing alternatives, including transshipment via third countries, Canadian or Mexican land bridges, and deploying non-Chinese-built tonnage on sensitive rotations. Some operators may pivot to U.S.-flag for select lanes. Legal briefings warn that misclassifying ownership or build to dodge a fee is risky and can trigger penalties or delays. Reciprocal Chinese fees elevate voyage economics on U.S.-linked calls at Chinese ports, with tanker routes already showing material swings (see HFW insight).

Ways to blunt the hit

Reduce the effective fee per unit by consolidating SKUs to raise load factors, using off-peak windows and faster dray to curb dwell, and leaning on FTZ admissions and bonded moves to time duties better for re-exports. Tight control of demurrage and detention avoids compounding with $150–$300/day charges. In service contracts, define surcharge triggers, require itemized evidence of any Section 301 pass-through, and seek markup caps.

Watch list and uncertainty

Expect clarifications, grace periods, and targeted carve-outs as regulators balance deterrence with supply-chain costs. Legal challenges are possible, especially around scope and definitions of China-linked status. Currency swings change how RMB-denominated fees translate into U.S. dollars, and China’s ladder steepens from 2026 onward. See the USTR October press release for the latest official notes.

Reference tables

Side-by-side fee ladders for the United States and China through 2028, plus example uplifts for a 10,000-TEU LA-LB call and a 60,000-NT Gulf bulk call.

Sources and methodology

• Regulator. USTR notices set the ladders and effective dates. See the April 17, 2025 Federal Register notice for Annex II’s higher-of method and steps, and the October 2025 press release for ongoing modifications.
• Enforcement and billing. CBP’s CSMS attachment explains prepayment expectations and potential holds without proof of payment.
• Legal analysis. Practical summaries from HFW and Clyde & Co cover the five-times-per-year cap and early deferrals near launch.
• Market outlets. Reuters tracks reciprocal measures and tanker impacts. Drewry provides the $1,651/FEU composite rate for context.
• Benchmarks. PortEconomics offers the average $54,000/TEU marker to convert per-TEU fees into percent of landed value.
• Definitions. See the IMO Tonnage Convention for how net tonnage is calculated.

Answers to Common Questions

Do the fees apply to empty arrivals or repositionings?
Policies include exemptions for some empty arrivals and special trades, and the fine print is evolving via USTR updates and port advisories. Check current USTR and CBP guidance.

Where on my invoice will I see this fee?
Typically as a carrier surcharge tied to the port call, often named for Section 301 vessel fees, with timing around arrival and discharge. CBP has urged prepayment by operators to avoid holds at the terminal gate.

Can my carrier choose the cheaper method under Annex II?
No. The rule is the higher of per-net-ton or per-container. Contract language may still shape how and when the pass-through hits you.

What if I route via Canada or Mexico?
Land bridges can help on some lanes, but longer inland hauls and border processes can offset savings. Legal exposure shifts, so audit build, ownership, and operator status for each segment.

Will currency changes matter on China’s fees?
Yes. RMB moves change dollar impacts for U.S.-linked voyages to China, and the ladder steepens from 2026 onward.