Starting tomorrow, coinciding with the entry into force of US measures to counter China’s dominance in global shipbuilding, China will be charging a fee of $56 per net tonne to ships owned by US operators or simply listed on the US stock exchange, following their first call at a Chinese port.
Referring to data from Jefferies Bank, Bloomberg reports that these new sanctions will mainly affect crude oil tankers (16% of the global fleet), LPG tankers (14%), product tankers (13%) and container ships (11%), figures that the investment bank considers high enough to cause significant disruption.
In line with US plans to increase port dues over the next few years, Beijing’s initial $56 levy per net tonne is set to increase annually until 2028, when it will reach $156.8 per tonne.
Translation by Giles Foster