US-China Suspend Port Fees in Trade Truce

Beijing and Washington have suspended retaliatory port fees on each other's ships for one year, effective November 10, 2025, in a move signaling a tentative thaw in trade tensions between the world's two largest economies.

The decision follows a bilateral meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea late last month. China's Ministry of Transport announced the pause on special fees for vessels owned or operated by U.S. entities, aligning it with the U.S. Trade Representative's suspension of similar levies on Chinese-built or operated ships. The U.S. action also includes a one-year halt to its Section 301 investigation into China's practices in the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors, postponing it until November 9, 2026. Officials from the USTR stated that monitoring will continue, with the possibility of reopening the probe if necessary.

In tandem, China's Ministry of Commerce suspended sanctions against five U.S. subsidiaries of South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean, including Hanwha Shipping LLC, Hanwha Philly Shipyard Inc., and Hanwha Ocean USA International LLC. These sanctions, imposed in October for alleged...