November 6th, 2025 – The United States will suspend port fees on Chinese-operated and Chinese-built ships for one year starting November 10th, the White House announced. The move is expected to encourage Beijing to lift its retaliatory port fees on U.S. vessels, though China has not yet confirmed whether its suspension will take effect the same day. Analysts in Hong Kong anticipate China will follow quickly, just as it did when both countries imposed matching port fees in mid-October.
During the 12-month pause, Washington plans to negotiate with Beijing over concerns about China’s alleged dominance in global maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors. These talks will occur alongside continued cooperation between the U.S., South Korea, and Japan to strengthen American shipbuilding capacity.
The port fee suspension was part of a wider package of trade concessions agreed upon during late-October discussions in Kuala Lumpur and confirmed by Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in South Korea last week. Under the deal, China will buy at least 12 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans before year-end and commit to annual purchases of at least 25 million tons in 2026, 2027, and 2028. Purchases of U.S. sorghum and hardwood logs will also resume.
China will suspend tariffs imposed since March 4th on a wide range of U.S. agricultural products, including poultry, wheat, corn, cotton, soybeans, pork, beef, seafood, fruits, vegetables, and dairy. It will also halt or remove non-tariff countermeasures introduced earlier this year. Market-based tariff exclusions for U.S. imports will be extended through December 31st, 2026, and Beijing will terminate investigations into U.S. semiconductor companies involving antitrust, anti-monopoly, and anti-dumping issues.
While no specific timeline was provided for China’s implementation, the U.S. confirmed it will end its 10% “fentanyl tariffs” on November 10th and maintain a suspension of heightened reciprocal tariffs on Chinese imports until November 10th, 2026. The existing 10% tariff will remain in place during that period.
U.S. imports from China have declined sharply since mid-year amid the trade dispute. According to PIERS data from S&P Global, containerized imports peaked at 984,280 TEUs in July 2025—the second-highest mark of the year—before falling in August and September.
Despite the agreement, questions remain about how the port fee pause will apply. Maritime law experts note uncertainty over whether it includes foreign-built vehicle carriers and roll-on/roll-off vessels, when China’s response will begin, and whether any relief will be retroactive to October 14th.
Industry observers see the tariff reductions as a short-term opportunity for U.S. shippers that could bring forward the usual pre–Chinese New Year shipping surge. However, others caution that any gains may be tempered by weaker U.S. consumer demand.
Most U.S. actions are temporary, expiring November 10th, 2026, meaning further negotiations will be needed—and future changes to trade policy remain likely.
Trans-Border will continue to monitor the situation and advise customers accordingly. Should you have any questions, please contact our Import Compliance team or give us a call at 518-785-6000.
