Cosco-chartered boxship caught by Beijing’s port fee retaliation on US vessels
A COSCO Shipping‑operated containership has skipped calls in China after reportedly becoming subject to the country’s newly imposed port fees on US‑linked vessels.
The 2,550 teu Halley(IMO: 9275062) was chartered by the Chinese state‑owned giant in April this year under a two‑year deal and deployed on intra‑Asia services.
The vessel was designated for the charges because the shipowner’s US shareholding exceeded the 25% threshold set out by China’s Ministry of Transport, according to industry sources.
The rules, implemented on October 14, target US-linked ships, in retaliation for new port tariffs introduced on the same day by the US Trade Representative aimed at China’s maritime sector.
Few, however, had expected that Cosco Shipping, itself a prime target of the USTR policies, would see vessels under its operation become a casualty of Beijing’s special port fee regime.
“It may be China’s way of demonstrating strict and impartial enforcement — even state‑owned companies are not exempt,” a source close to the company said, adding that Halley was unlikely be the only Cosco-chartered vessel affected.
Sources told Lloyd’s List the Liberia‑flagged ship had been waiting off Ningbo for several days while Cosco sought an exemption from the authorities.
An alternative plan was said to involve diverting to Hong Kong. The port city, a Chinese special administrative region, has confirmed it will not follow mainland China in applying the fees. However, both approaches appear to have made little progress.
Lloyd’s List Intelligence vessel‑tracking data shows that Halley, which arrived off Ningbo on October 19, already turned south earlier today, with its AIS destination now set to Singapore.
A sailing schedule update from Orient Overseas Container Line, a Cosco subsidiary, dated October 24, lists Halley on its ‘CHL5’ service linking China and Ho Chi Minh City, with a call at Ningbo planned for October 25 and then Qingdao on October 30.
Some ship databases identify the vessel’s beneficial owner as US‑based Greywolf Capital Management, the investment firm that made headlines in June 2023 after launching its second containership fund, bringing total commitments in the sector to $330m.
It remains unclear whether Halley’s diversion to Singapore is directly linked to enforcement of the rule, or whether the transport ministry has granted any exemptions for US‑owned vessels chartered to Chinese operators. The ship’s failure to berth in Ningbo and Qingdao, however, suggests otherwise.
In addition to Chinese‑built vessels, Beijing’s port fee rules also waive charges for empty ships calling at Chinese yards solely for repair, as well as for other ships granted relief by the authorities, though it has not specified which vessels fall under this category.
No information has been released on how many ships have been charged, either, as Chinese maritime authorities that handle the enforcement do not publish such data.
Earlier, domestic media reports claimed that at least two vessels operated by US carrier Matson were levied, though this has not been officially confirmed.
Cosco Shipping, Greywolf Capital Management, and China’s Ministry of Transport have been approached for comment.
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