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Trade Policy

U.S. Senators Push to Reinstate Port Fees on Chinese Ships; Agriculture Exporters Warn of Devastating Impact

Source: FreightWaves / AgTC · 2026-06-16
Summary

Democratic Senators Mark Kelly of Arizona and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts are pressing the Trump administration to reinstate port fees on Chinese-built cargo vessels calling at U.S. ports. The fees, originally implemented earlier in 2026 following a USTR investigation into China unfair maritime subsidies, were suspended until November after China imposed reciprocal fees on U.S. carriers. The Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC) warned that reinstating the fees could put some U.S. agricultural producers out of business, noting that U.S. grain, soybean, and other bulk commodity exporters are particularly vulnerable. A Trade Partnership Worldwide study endorsed by 277 trade associations detailed severe economic harm from the proposed port fees, singling out U.S. agricultural exports for the most draconian measures.

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