China will begin charging special port service fees on ships owned or operated by United States entities starting Tuesday, the Ministry of Transport announced on Friday, calling the move a legitimate response to Washington's discriminatory actions against Chinese shipping and shipbuilding enterprises.

The ministry said that the new measure applies to vessels owned or operated by US companies, organizations or individuals, as well as to ships flying the US flag or built in the US. The fees will also apply to vessels owned or operated by entities in which US stakeholders hold at least a 25 percent ownership share, voting rights or board representation.

The decision follows an April 17 announcement by the Office of the United States Trade Representative, or USTR, which said it would impose additional port service fees on Chinese-owned or Chinese-built vessels starting the same date, citing Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974. The ministry said the US measures severely violate international trade principles and the China-US Maritime Transport Agreement, and disrupt normal maritime commerce between the two countries.

The special fees will be collected by local maritime authorities at the vessel's first Chinese port of call and will be charged per voyage. The measure will be rolled out in four phases: 400 yuan ($56) per net ton starting Tuesday; 640 yuan per net ton from April 17, 2026; 880 yuan per net ton from April 17, 2027; and 1,120 yuan per net ton from April 17, 2028.

If a vessel calls at multiple Chinese ports during the same voyage, the fee will be charged only once, the ministry said. Each ship will not be subject to the fee for more than five voyages per year.

The ministry described the measure as a "just and necessary step" to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese shipping companies in the face of what it called Washington's unjustified suppression. It urged the US side to "immediately correct its wrongdoing and stop its unreasonable crackdown on China's maritime industry".

Reciprocal measure

The move is a reciprocal measure taken in response to the USTR's decision to impose similar fees on Chinese vessels.

The USTR's Section 301 action, introduced under the Trump administration, followed a yearlong investigation into China's maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors. The investigation concluded that China's industrial policies were aimed at achieving dominance in these fields, leading the USTR to impose incremental service fees and restrictions on Chinese vessels.

China's Ministry of Transport said it will release detailed implementation measures for the new port service fees in due course.

luowangshu@chinadaily.com.cn