On October 26, 2026, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) published a Request for Comments on Further Suspension of Section 301 Action in the Federal Register on a proposal to suspend, for two (2) more months, the actions taken in its Section 301 investigation of China’s targeting of the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors. The current suspension expires at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 9, 2026. Citing ongoing negotiations with China, USTR proposes to extend the suspension from 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time on November 10, 2026, through 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on January 9, 2027. During the extended suspension, no liability will accrue based on USTR’s port fees on vessels owned or operated by Chinese entities, on Chinese-built vessels, or on foreign-built vehicle carriers, or the duties on Chinese ship-to-shore cranes and cargo handling equipment. USTR will accept written comments submitted through its electronic portal under docket number USTR-2026-0694 until October 30, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

The fees took effect last year, on October 14, 2025. About two weeks later, President Trump met with President Xi Jinping of China, and the suspension of the fees was announced as part of a larger U.S.-China trade deal. When the fees were suspended, USTR did not state whether the escalating fee schedule would resume at the October 2025 levels or at the higher levels scheduled for 2026. The current proposal does not resolve that question either. The proposed two-month extension provides short-term relief but continued uncertainty for owners, operators, and charterers of affected vessels, given the possibility that the fees will be reinstated in January 2027.

For more information on the USTR Section 301 port fees and/or US maritime trade regulation generally, please contact us at info@chaloslaw.com.