U.S.ProposesTaxonForeign-BuiltShipsThatCouldRaise$1.5Trillion

The U.S. has proposed new fees on foreign-built commercial ships entering its ports — a levy that the White House says could generate up to $1.5 trillion over a decade — alongside a separate tax on goods crossing land borders.

The proposal is part of America’s Maritime Action Plan, a 37-page policy document released by the White House. The plan follows President Donald Trump’s April 2025 executive order to restore America’s maritime dominance and introduces two new levies after a previous round of port fees targeting China was suspended last year. 

The measures would affect nearly all U.S. seaborne imports. Foreign-built vessels account for more than 99% of commercial ships calling at American ports, and over 90% of those transporting U.S. imports were built in China, Japan or South Korea. While the administration says the revenue would fund a revival of U.S. maritime capacity, global shipping groups warn the fees could distort trade flows, raise costs for American businesses and consumers, and trigger retaliation from trading partners.

A major proposed charge in the action plan is an “infrastructure or security fee” on foreign-built commercial vessels entering U.S. ports. Although no rate has been finalized, the plan estimates that a levy of 1 U.S. cent per kilogram would generate $66 billion over 10 years, while a rate of 25 cents per kilogram could raise $1.5 trillion. Proceeds would flow into a newly established Maritime Security Trust Fund aimed at revitalizing U.S. shipbuilding and maritime infrastructure.

At those levels, a standard 20-foot container, or twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU), weighing about 20 tons would incur a fee ranging from $200 to $5,000. A 10,000-TEU container ship on a single trans-Pacific voyage could face port charges of between $2 million and $50 million. The proposal would also extend to bulk carriers and tankers that were excluded from earlier tariffs.

Those potential charges far exceed the $120 to $250 per TEU imposed on some non-Chinese-owned, Chinese-built container ships under previous Section 301 tariffs. It remains unclear whether the new plan would include exemptions for smaller vessels or short-haul routes, as earlier tariffs did.

The plan also includes a proposed Land Port Maintenance Tax of 0.125% on the value of goods entering the U.S. via land borders. Revenue would support a separate trust fund dedicated to land-port infrastructure.

Industry reaction was swift. The London-based International Chamber of Shipping said in a Feb. 16 statement that the proposed fees would create a “huge additional cost burden,” distort trade and increase costs for U.S. businesses and consumers. The group warned the policy could disrupt supply chains and provoke international retaliatory measures.

A shipping executive involved in China-U.S. trade said most companies would struggle to absorb the added costs, meaning the bulk of the fees would likely be passed on to American consumers.

A Chinese shipping-industry source said that if the universal levy replaces the earlier Section 301 tariffs, the change could benefit Chinese shipbuilders and logistics providers. “If everyone is taxed, then Chinese logistics and manufacturing companies will still retain their advantages,” the person said.

Beyond the proposed fees, the Maritime Action Plan outlines measures to upgrade U.S. shipbuilding capacity, expand the maritime workforce and bolster the U.S. presence in the Arctic. The plan requires congressional approval before taking effect.

Contact editor Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com)