The United States Trade Representative (USTR) initiated an investigation on
China’s maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors on 17 April 2024 based on
the petition filed by 5 US labor unions that alleged unfair policies and
practices to undermine fair competition and dominate the market. Amongst the
proposed remedies to address China’s dominance is a fee on vessels built in
China that dock at US ports.
Although containerships built at Chinese shipyards account for only 27% of the
current f