A broad coalition of American business, transportation and maritime organisations is calling on the United States to extend the suspension of Section 301 tariffs and fees targeting Chinese-built vessels, as U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet at the White House for trade talks.
In a joint letter dated 23 September and addressed to U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer, more than 200 importers, exporters and transportation organisations urged the administration to postpone the fees before the current one-year suspension expires on 9 November. The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the World Shipping Council and the Chamber of Shipping of America are among the organisations backing the request. The ICS said the letter was co-signed by 209 international and U.S. federal and state trade associations.
The groups warned that the impact of the measures would extend well beyond companies directly involved with Chinese-built ships because China-built vessels account for a significant share of global ocean carrier capacity.
They said the tariffs and fees could ripple through shipping networks, influence vessel deployment decisions and create additional uncertainty for businesses that have little control over the ownership, operation or construction history of the ships used to move their cargo.
Fees suspended for one year
The current suspension dates back to November 2025. USTR announced on 9 November 2025 that the Section 301 actions targeting China’s maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors would be suspended for one year, beginning at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on 10 November 2025.
Under that arrangement, the United States suspended the implementation of port fees affecting certain Chinese-built vessels, ships with Chinese owners or operators, and foreign-built vehicle carriers calling at U.S. ports. At the same time, China’s Ministry of Transport announced a one-year suspension of its own retaliatory port fees targeting U.S.-linked shipping.
Unless USTR announces another extension, the U.S. maritime fees targeting China are due to return. The expectation is that China could likewise reinstate retaliatory port fees affecting U.S.-linked shipping.
Trump and Xi focus on broader cooperation
The maritime fees were not specifically mentioned in the opening public statements delivered by Trump and Xi at the White House summit on Thursday morning, with both leaders instead highlighting the broader relationship between the two countries.
“The interests of China and the United States are deeply intertwined, and there is plenty of room for us to work together,” Xi said alongside Trump. He added that cooperation between China and the United States would not resolve every global problem, but that many of the world’s challenges would be harder to address without it.
Xi also said China remained open to American companies looking to invest and do business in the country, while expressing hope that Chinese companies would receive fair treatment in the United States.
The Trump-Xi meeting comes as the two countries continue to navigate wider trade tensions and uncertainty ahead of the November deadline. Recent reporting has identified the possible extension of the broader trade truce among the issues under discussion.
Supply chains still under pressure
In their letter to USTR, the coalition also highlighted continuing pressure on U.S. supply chains as uncertainty spreads across global trade lanes.
“Many businesses are still working through higher costs for ocean freight, trucking, warehousing, insurance, and inventory management,” the organisations wrote. “These costs compound quickly and are ultimately borne by U.S. businesses, workers, farmers, and consumers.”
The coalition is therefore seeking an extension of the suspension as the administration weighs its next steps on maritime policy and the broader U.S.-China trade relationship. The ICS separately reiterated that it remains opposed to a proposed universal infrastructure or security fee on foreign-built commercial vessels calling at U.S. ports.
