After weeks of speculation, the U.S. Trade Representative says fees on Chinese-made ships are on the horizon.
Starting in October, the U.S. will charge Chinese-built ships and operators based on cargo volumes. This will not apply to ships arriving at U.S. ports empty or those on shorter trips.
The fee will be $50 per net ton and will increase by $30 each year over the next three years. Leaders at the Ag Transportation Coalition tell AgriPulse the final list of fees is better, but not good enough, warning the cost to ship commodities, like soybeans, could go up.
Related Stories
Herd rebuilding looks slow, keeping cattle prices supported; beef-on-dairy crosses help fill feedlots, while imports temper—but don’t erase—tightness.
“We believe that it is just a matter of days or weeks... before we see New World screwworm in Texas.”
The three-point plan was announced during remarks at the annual meeting of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.
