The U.S. government is proposing to keep port fees targeting China-linked vessels on hold until January 9, 2027, giving Washington and Beijing more time to negotiate over China’s dominance of the global shipbuilding industry.
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has proposed extending the suspension of section 301 action targeting China-linked shipping for another two months to 9 January 2027, according to a USTR notice.
The USTR seeks to extend the current suspension of responsive actions for an additional two months to allow continued negotiations with China concerning the acts, policies, and practices at issue.
The existing pause is due to expire November 9, meaning the fees would remain suspended from 12:00 a.m. eastern time on November 10, 2026, through 11:59 p.m. eastern time on January 9, 2027, if the proposal is adopted.
During the suspension period, no party would be required to pay the fees on maritime transport services.
The proposal has not yet been adopted. USTR is accepting public comments through 5 p.m. eastern time on October 30, 2026. The comment period opened on October 23 and closes at the end of October.
The Trade Representative is requesting comments from any interested person regarding the proposal to suspend the responsive actions.
The proposed extension follows a trade and economic deal reached by US president Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping nearly a year ago.
Due to this deal, the Trade Representative, at the direction of the US president, proposed in November 2025 to suspend for one year, beginning on November 10, 2025, the responsive actions.
Following consideration of public comments and advice from the section 301 Committee, the Trade Representative suspended the actions from 12:01 a.m. eastern time on November 10, 2025, through 11:59 p.m. eastern time on November 9, 2026.
For now, the latest USTR suspension offers continued relief from measures that could have significantly increased costs for shipping companies operating between China and the United States.
The consultation gives affected businesses and industry groups a limited opportunity to communicate their views on the proposed change.
With the deadline approaching, companies exposed to the measures have only a short window to provide feedback.
The extended suspension is temporary, and the next steps will depend on the progress of negotiations between the United States and China concerning the maritime and shipbuilding practices at the centre of the investigation.
