China will impose port fees on US-owned, operated, built, or flagged vessels starting Tuesday as a countermeasure to American fees on China-linked ships, the country’s transport ministry announced. The move escalates tensions between the two global trade powers, coming just days before US President Donald Trump revealed plans to raise tariffs on Chinese exports to 100 percent and impose export controls on critical software. While relatively few US-built or US-flagged vessels operate in international trade, China’s approach is broader, targeting ships owned by companies with 25 percent or more of shares or board seats held by US-based investment funds. Analysts say this could affect many publicly listed shipping companies in the United States. Erik Broekhuizen, a marine research and consulting manager at Poten & Partners, warned that “the potential impact is significant,” with a wide net catching vessels that may not have been directly linked to US ports before. Starting Tuesday, ships built, owned, or operated by Chinese entities will also be required to pay fees at their first port of call in the United States. Shipping companies already affected include US-based Matson, which confirmed it would comply with the new Chinese fees without altering its service schedules. CMA-CGM’s US-based American President Lines and Israel-based Zim, partially owned by US entities, may also face charges. Analysts note that the fees will apply to about 100 vessels chartered by major container lines, including those owned by Seaspan. Oil tanker operators are mostly headquartered outside the United States, but US-listed fleets could still be affected by the Chinese port fees. Scorpio Tankers, for instance, is US-listed with a large fleet, making it vulnerable under the new rules. Broekhuizen noted that the tanker market is already in turmoil, as many vessels potentially affected are already en route to China. Data from Fearnleys, a ship broker and fleet information provider, shows nearly 10 percent of very large crude carriers and 13 percent of the Suezmax, Afra, and LR2 fleets could face these levies. Research by Vortexa indicates 43 liquefied petroleum gas supertankers, around 10 percent of the global fleet, are also exposed. China will charge US-linked vessels 400 yuan ($56.13) per net metric ton beginning Tuesday, with fees set to increase to 640 yuan ($89.81) in April 2026, 880 yuan ($123.52) in April 2027, and 1,120 yuan ($157.16) in April 2028. COSCO, including its OOCL fleet, is the most exposed Chinese carrier, with analysts projecting fees could reach around $2 billion in 2026. The Chinese transport ministry criticized US port fees as discriminatory, claiming they “severely damage the legitimate interests of China’s shipping industry, disrupt global supply chains, and undermine the international economic and trade order.” The USTR has not yet commented. The United States implemented its port fees after a review by the US Trade Representative, part of a broader effort to revive domestic shipbuilding and reduce China’s influence in commercial and naval shipping. China has grown into the world’s leading shipbuilder over the past two decades, handling both commercial and military projects. Shipping industry experts warn that the introduction of these fees on both sides adds complexity and costs to global trade networks, threatening exporters, producers, and consumers. Joe Kramek, president and CEO of the World Shipping Association, noted that the measures come at a time when global trade is already under pressure. The fees on US-linked vessels will extend beyond immediate financial burdens, analysts say, affecting schedules, supply chains, and international operations. Both countries have struggled to move past a 90-day trade tariff truce that began in August and ends in early November. Retaliatory tariffs this year have already sharply reduced Chinese imports of US agriculture and energy products, and the new levies signal that tensions between the two superpowers are deepening. Shipping companies, regulators, and global trade analysts will closely watch the implementation of China’s port fees and the US response. The stakes are high, with major vessel operators and global supply chains potentially caught in the crossfire as trade conflicts between the world’s two largest economies continue to escalate.