Shippers, Steelmakers Spar Over Trump Levies for Chinese Vessels

By Ruth Liao and Laura Curtis Mar 25, 2025 (Bloomberg) –US lawmakers, labor unions and steel manufacturers were at odds with shipping companies and farm exporters Monday over a Trump administration proposal to put million-dollar levies on China-linked ships docking in the US.

At an Office of the US Trade Representative hearing on the proposal, more than 30 witness statements were peppered with members of Congress jumping in virtually to remark on the state of the US shipbuilding industry. While there was broad agreement that China’s dominance should be addressed, there was concern the levies would do more harm than good.  Ocean carriers and farm exporters said the fees would snarl global supply chains and tank whole sectors of the US economy. World Shipping Council Chief Executive Officer Joe Kramek called on the USTR to drop the fees, arguing “order backlogs – especially from the military – and labor shortages constrain the ability of US shipyards to take on additional orders.”

Mike Koehne, representing the American Soybean Association, said agriculture already is under strain and the fees would lead to farmers having to pay more for key tools such as fertilizer and seed, giving rivals an edge. “Our competitors in Brazil and Argentina will not be subject to the same regulations,” he said in a written statement. “While well-intended, this proposal would ensure US soybeans will bear higher costs and be less competitive in the global marketplace.”  © 2025 Bloomberg L.P.