USTR Proposes Changes to Section 301 Fees, New Fee Exemption for Vehicle Carriers
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is proposing to revise its upcoming Section 301 actions on the maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors, including fees for vehicle carriers and restrictions on maritime transport services.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
Vessel fees under the action are set to begin Oct. 14 (see 2504180018). Comments on USTR's changes are due by July 7, according to a June 6 release.
USTR says in its pre-publication notice that the proposed changes to Annex III, which deal with service fees on vessel operators of foreign-built vehicle carriers, would reduce dependence on China and curb the potential for fee evasion. One proposed change would exempt U.S.-owned or U.S.-flagged vessels enrolled in the Maritime Security Program from the fees outlined in Annex III. The fees also wouldn't apply to U.S. government cargo, U.S. government vessels or vessels chartered by the U.S. government.
The other proposed modification in Annex III involves changing the basis of these fees to net tons instead of car equivalent units for vehicle carriers, such that the fee for a non-U.S. built vehicle carrier entering a U.S. port would be $14 per net ton, effective Oct. 14. This would replace prior language of $150 per car equivalent unit for non-U.S. vessels entering a U.S. port. This change in the wording of the provision from using the term "vessel" to "vehicle carrier" also allows for the inclusion of roll-on/roll-off vessels, according to USTR.
USTR also proposed some modifications for Annex IV, which deals with restrictions on certain maritime transport services. Specifically, the proposed modifications for Annex IV include "eliminating paragraph (j), retroactive to April 17, 2025, under which USTR may direct the suspension of LNG export licenses until the terms of paragraph (f) of this Annex are met. USTR also seeks comments on changing the data reporting requirements in paragraph (k) and applying Annex IV restrictions to vessel owners or operators."