Kelly, Warren Press Trump Admin to Support American Workers by Reinstating Port Fees on Chinese Ships

“A strong domestic shipping industry is essential for our national security, especially in moments of global conflict.” Read in Bloomberg: Democrats Press Trump to Hike Port Fees on Chinese Ships Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) urged United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to protect American workers and promote domestic ship manufacturing by reinstating the Trade Act of 1974’s Section 301 port fees on Chinese ships. Last year, Kelly and Senator Todd Young (R-IN), alongside Representatives John Garamendi (D-CA-08) and Trent Kelly (R-MS-01), introduced the SHIPS for America Act to revitalize the United States shipbuilding and commercial maritime industries. Warren is a co-sponsor of the legislation. The letter comes on the heels of Kelly and Young, alongside Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Tim Scott (R-SC), calling on President Trump to stand strong on shipbuilding and not offer concessions to China in his summit with President Xi. “Section 301 port fees are critical to revitalizing U.S. shipbuilding. Presidents of both parties have long recognized the serious threat that Chinese shipbuilding dominance poses to the United States, and…[these] fees and restrictions on Chinese vessels would have protected American shipbuilding businesses and workers,” wrote the senators. In 2000, China produced less than 5 percent of commercial ships. Last year, Chinese ships accounted for more than half of commercial ships produced worldwide. At the same time, U.S. shipyard production accounted for only 0.1% of global production, leaving America’s economy reliant on Chinese ships. Presidents of both parties have acted to counter Chinese shipbuilding dominance, investigating China’s targeting of maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding. As a result of a Biden-era investigation , the Trump administration initially proposed fees on Chinese-owned and operated ships. The prospect of these fees led to a 23.5 percent decrease in orders at Chinese shipyards in just nine months. But President Trump’s reckless trade war reversed this progress. China imposed its own fees on U.S. ships and massive tariffs on critical minerals used in military technology and semiconductors. As a result, the Trump administration made several concessions—including suspending the shipping fees and restrictions for one year—so China would drop its restrictions on critical minerals. Within days, the backlog of orders on hand at Chinese ports rose 25 percent . Even since suspending the fees, the Trump administration has reiterated the need to “reclaim America’s maritime strength” and generate “demand for U.S.-built ships, shipyards, and mariners.” “The dire consequences of this consolidation have only become more evident since President Trump launched his war in Iran. […] Without significant investment in domestic shipbuilding capacity, the U.S. will find itself in the same position in future global conflicts. A strong domestic shipping industry is essential for our national security, especially in moments of global conflict,” concluded the senators. In their letter, the senators urged Ambassador Greer to reinstate the fees and restrictions on Chinese ships entering U.S. ports, commit to keeping them in place, explain how the pause on fees is affecting American workers, and reveal whether the Trump administration secured any meaningful concessions from China for pausing the fees and restrictions. The full text of the letter can be found here .