U.S. Port Fees on Chinese-Built Vessels: Application, Limitations, and Exemptions Home / News / Club News / U.S. Port Fees on Chinese-Built Vessels: Application, Restrictions and Exclusions  Club News U.S. Port Fees on Chinese-Built Vessels: Application, Restrictions and Exclusions  5 May, 2025 U.S. Port Fees on Chinese-Built Vessels: Application, Limitations, and Exemptions Further to our recent guidance on the implementation of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) service fee framework for Chinese-built vessels calling at U.S. ports, here we provide detailed clarification on the fee application mechanism, applicable caps, and confirmed vessel exemptions. Fee Application – First U.S. Port Per Rotation Only Under Annex II of the USTR framework, service fees for Chinese-built vessels are assessed once per rotation, defined as a string of consecutive U.S. port calls following a foreign departure. The first U.S. port of call after arrival from abroad triggers the fee. Additional U.S. port calls during the same coastwise rotation are not subject to further fees. This structure is intended to avoid cumulative fees for multi-port U.S. voyages inbound from foreign origins. Annual Cap – Maximum of Five Fees Per Vessel Each vessel is subject to a maximum of five (5) fee assessments per calendar year, regardless of the number of qualifying U.S. entries. Once five qualifying entries have occurred, no further fees apply for that vessel until the next calendar year. Operators are responsible for tracking entry counts and verifying compliance with this cap. Exemptions from Chinese-Built Vessel Fee The following vessel types and operations are explicitly excluded from the Chinese-built vessel fee regime: U.S.-flagged or U.S.-owned vessels enrolled in: Maritime Security Program (MSP) Tanker Security Program (TSP) Cable Security Program Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA) Vessels arriving in ballast Small vessels, defined as: Containerships ≤ 4,000 TEU General ca