The US has announced a new proposal to impose port fees on foreign ships as part of its shipbuilding revival project, prompting renewed concerns among shipowners about inflation and market distortions. The White House this month unveiled America’s Maritime Action Plan that includes a universal infrastructure or security fee on commercial ships built in foreign countries, which will be contributed to the Maritime Security Trust Fund to support US shipbuilding and other maritime projects.
Without detailing the fee structure, the White House said the proposal could involve a fee of 1 cent per kilogram on foreign-built ships, yielding roughly $66 billion in revenue over 10 years, or a fee of 25 cents per kilogram, yielding close to $1.5 trillion. The International Chamber of Shipping, representing over 80% of the world’s merchant fleet via national shipowners’ organisations, said it supports US plans to strengthen maritime capacities but opposes any proposed port fees, as per a report.
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