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The US Trade Representative (USTR) has again revised its proposals for the new fee structure to be applied to Chinese-built vessels calling at the country.
The latest revisions to the proposed 301 action, addressing China’s dominance of the maritime sector, are largely about proposed fees on pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) vessels calling at the US, as well as LNG ships employed by US LNG exporters.
Under the revised proposals, PCTC vessels will be charged $14 per its net tonne, rather than the previously proposed $150 per car equivalent unit (CEU), a measure of determining a ro-ro vessel’s car-carrying capacity.
By way of reference, the largest car-carriers that leading ro-ro carrier Wallenius Wilhelmsen currently has under construction in China are 11,700 ceu.
“USTR has determined to propose modifications to provide for targeted coverage for a specific programme that reduces dependence on China,” it said.
“Furthermore, USTR proposes a modification of the fee basis described in that annex from car equivalent units to net tonnage, which is appropriate to address administrability, and in light of the potential for fee evasion,” it explained.
In addition, a previous commitment to seeing at least 1% of the US’s LNG exports move on US-built ships by 2029 has been rowed back, after concerns were raised about the ability of the US shipbuilding industry to deliver new LNG shipping capacity under such a tight deadline.
Meanwhile, the USTR has invited public comments on the revised proposals, with a submission deadline for 7 July.
The new fees – in whatever form and levels eventually decided upon – are due to come into effect on 14 October.
Should they remain unchanged, from October Chinese-built containerships calling at US ports would be charged $18 per net vessel tonnage, or $120 per container discharged, whichever is higher. By April 2028, the charge will have risen incrementally, to either $33 per net tonnage of the vessel, or $250 per container discharged.
And, from October, Chinese vessel operators would pay an additional $50 per net tonnage, regardless of where its ships were built, which would gradually increase to $140 by April 2028.
Meanwhile, the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), announced last week that, “recognising the complexities, the BIMCO Documentary Committee has decided to prioritise the drafting of clauses to support the shipping industry in navigating the new rules”.
Stinne Taiger Ivø, deputy secretary general & director of contracts, explained: “Seen in the light of the complex nature of the USTR actions, we have decided to make this a priority. A BIMCO subcommittee, comprising legal and commercial experts, has been established and work on a clause is already under way.
“The clause is expected to be published in the near future, and further communication is planned once it is adopted,” she added.
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