Washington:
The United States on Thursday unveiled new port charges on Chinese -made and operated ships, promoting domestic ship -making industry and curbing China’s dominance in the region.
This step – which stems from an inquiry launched under the former administration – comes as the United States and China, a major trade war on President Donald Trump’s tariff is closed and can increase further tension.
“Ships and shipping are important for the free flow of US economic security and commerce,” US Trade Representative Jaimison Greer said in a statement announced a new fee.
Under the new rule, per tonne load or per container fee would apply to each Chinese-linked ship’s American travel, and not at each port because some in the industry were worried.
The fee will be assessed only up to five times per year, and if the owner holds an order for the American -made vessel, it can be forgiven.
After World War II, the major, American shipbuilding industry has gradually declined and now is just 0.1 percent of global production.
Asia is now dominated in the region, about half of all ships launched ahead of South Korea and Japan along with China.
According to United Nations data, more than 95 percent of the three Asian countries have civil shipbuilding.
There will be different fees for sugar -powered vessels and sugar -made ships, and both will grow gradually in later years.
For Chinese -made ships, the fee starts at $ 18 per NT or $ 120 per container – which means a ship with 15,000 containers can see a fee of $ 1.8 million.
American groups representing some thirty industries voiced their concerns in March that such fees could be at the prices of imported products.
A business survey by groups expressed concern that the proposed fees, tariffs on China and other countries, as well as duties on steel and aluminum imports, would put “extraordinary pressure on American retailers”.
All non-US-made car carriers ships will also be hit with fees starting in 180 days.
Washington is also introducing new fees for liquid natural gas (LNG) carrier, although they are not effective for three years.
A fact sheet with the announcement stated that fees “will not cover the Bulk commodity exports on the fees” Great Lex or Caribbean shipping, shipping, shipping from US territors, or ships coming to the United States. “
In addition to the fees, Greer also announced a proposed tariff on some ships-to cranes and Chinese cargo handling equipment.
“The Trump administration’s action will begin to reverse the Chinese dominance, address the dangers to the US supply chain, and send a demand signal to the US-made ships,” said the Trump administration.
(This story is not edited by NDTV employees and auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)