{"id":92049,"date":"2026-02-17T06:44:45","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T09:44:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shipping.einnews.com\/article\/893010946"},"modified":"2026-02-17T06:44:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T09:44:45","slug":"proposed-us-port-fees-on-foreign-built-ships-could-reshape-shipping-costs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/02\/17\/proposed-us-port-fees-on-foreign-built-ships-could-reshape-shipping-costs\/","title":{"rendered":"Proposed US Port Fees on Foreign-Built Ships Could Reshape Shipping Costs"},"content":{"rendered":"
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ICS warns US maritime action plan\u2019s proposed port fees on foreign-built ships could raise costs and disrupt global trade. File Image \/ Pixabay<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

A new US <\/strong>maritime action plan has floated the idea of imposing a universal fee on foreign-built commercial vessels entering US ports, potentially creating a significant new cost for shipowners and cargo interests.<\/p>\n

The proposal suggests charging an infrastructure or security fee based on the weight of imported cargo carried on foreign-built ships, according to America\u2019s Maritime Action Plan released<\/strong> earlier this month.<\/p>\n

A levy as low as 1 cent per kilogram<\/strong> could generate roughly $66 billion<\/strong> over a decade, while a higher 25-cent<\/strong> charge could raise close to $1.5 trillion<\/strong>, according to the plan.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs foreign-built vessels benefit from U.S. market access, this policy ensures they contribute to the long term revitalization of America\u2019s maritime capabilities,\u201d the plan states.<\/p>\n

Funds would be directed towards a Maritime Security Trust Fund <\/strong>aimed at rebuilding US shipbuilding capacity and maritime infrastructure.<\/p>\n

The proposed fee is framed as a way to ensure they help finance shipyard modernisation in the US, workforce development and fleet expansion.<\/p>\n

The measure remains a proposal and would require congressional approval and detailed rulemaking before taking effect.<\/p>\n

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ICS strongly advocates for shipping to be able to move trade freely,<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The action plan calls for legislative mechanisms to fund maritime initiatives, meaning any fee on foreign-built ships would need to be authorised by lawmakers and then implemented by federal agencies, with consultation likely across industry and trading partners.<\/p>\n

If implemented, the measure could have wide-ranging implications for global shipping.<\/p>\n

Most ships calling at US ports are foreign-built, meaning the charge would effectively function as a new port-related cost for a large share of international trade.<\/p>\n

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS)<\/strong>, while supporting efforts to strengthen the US shipbuilding industry, warned that the proposed fees could have significant knock-on effects for trade.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe imposition of fees based on the weight of imported tonnage, at levels ranging from 1 cent per kilogram to 25 cents per kilogram, would represent a substantial additional cost burden on maritime transport,\u201d ICS said in an email statement on Monday<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuch measures risk distorting trade, increasing costs for U.S. consumers and businesses, disrupting the smooth flow of global commerce, and could encourage retaliatory measures.\u201d<\/p>\n

That could translate into higher freight rates, shifts in routing, or pressure on charter markets, particularly for trades heavily reliant on US imports.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

… cost for shipowners and cargo<\/span> interests. The proposal suggests … the weight of imported cargo<\/span> carried on foreign-built … Shipping<\/span> (ICS), while supporting efforts to strengthen the US shipbuilding<\/span> … That could translate into higher freight<\/span> rates, shifts in routing, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-92049","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92049","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92049"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92049\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92049"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92049"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92049"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}