SEATTLE — New fees on Chinese freighter ships could help revive Seattle’s shipping sector, according to the Port of Seattle.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has announced new levies on Chinese ships docking in American ports, part of an effort to restore the nation’s shipbuilding and maritime industries.
Port of Seattle Commissioner Ryan Calkins called the new fees “pretty significant” and said they could support U.S. maritime competitiveness if implemented carefully.
“We’re going to continue to work with the administration on a use of these fees that reduce costs for consumers, reduce costs for the businesses that rely on ports, and see that it really does reinvigorate the maritime industry in the United States,” Calkins said.
Under the policy, Chinese-owned or -operated vessels will be charged $50 per net ton for each voyage to the U.S., with the fee increasing by $30 per net ton each year through 2028. Each vessel would be charged no more than five times annually.
The goal, Calkins said, is to discourage reliance on ships built in China, which dominates the global commercial shipbuilding market. The United States currently holds about 0.1% of that market and built fewer than 10 commercial ships last year, according to the Associated Press.
Still, port officials warned the fees could have unintended consequences if shippers reroute through Canada or Mexico, where strong rail and trucking networks move goods into the U.S. interior.
“They have good infrastructure to be able to take over that work if these fees unintentionally create an incentive to move those goods through land borders,” Calkins said.
The Port has urged USTR to address what it calls the “land border loophole” to ensure the new policy encourages trade through U.S. seaports rather than shifting it elsewhere.
“We’re really trying to close that loophole and make sure that these fees, any fees that are collected, incentivize more trade through our seaports,” Calkins said.
The Associated Press’ Chan Ho-Him contributed to this report.
트위터 공유: 미국 항만 활성화 요금 발표