Over the weekend, the US Customs Service released details of the US government’s increased special fees for Chinese-affiliated ships in US ports starting next week.
Accordingly, the responsibility for the proper payment of duties lies with the ship operators. If proof of payment is missing, ships may be refused discharge, denied clearance or excluded from operations until the documents are submitted. The fees are to be paid via a website of the US Treasury Department. Operators should pay no later than three days before arrival at the port.
The regulation provides for three tiers of fees: For vessels attributable to Chinese owners or operators, Annex 1 provides for fees of $50 per net ton. Annex 2 stipulates that for ships built in China, the higher value of $18 per net ton or $120 per discharged container is to be applied. In addition, Annex 3 specifies that all non-US-built car carriers are subject to $14 per net ton.
LNG tankers are exempt from the fees. Processing is carried out via an online form (“Section 301 Fee Payment Form”), which displays the exact amount of the fee after the required information has been entered.
China has already announced countermeasures. Nine days ago, Premier Li Qiang signed a State Council decree stating that China would respond to discriminatory restrictions or bans against Chinese operators, ships or crews with “necessary countermeasures”.
The three tiers of fees:
- Annex 1: $50 per net ton for vessels attributable to Chinese owners or operators.
- Annex 2: For Chinese-built vessels, the higher of $18 per net ton or $120 per container discharged.
- Annex 3: All non-US built car carriers are subject to $14 per net ton.
