Four Days Ahead of Ship Docking Fees, USTR Announces Changes
A week after CBP instructed vessel operators how to pay fees under a Section 301 shipping action, and four days before those fees are due, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative changed the fee structure.
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CBP had "strongly encouraged" companies to pay three business days ahead of arrival, "as vessels without proof of payment will be subject to denial of lading or unlading operations," so some of the fees may have been paid already (see 2510030053).
However, the notice, which will not be published in the Federal Register until after the effective date, does allow vessels where fees are changing -- LPG and other liquefied gas carriers, and roll-on/roll-off vessels -- to defer payment of the fees from Oct. 14 through Dec. 10.
Instead of $14 per net ton for vessels that are carrying cars, trucks and other vehicles that drive onto the vessel via a ramp, it will be $46 per net ton, but it can only apply five times per calendar year.
The LPG carriers won't pay any fee.
The notice also imposes new tariffs on some equipment related to logistics. Ship-to-shore cranes will face a 100% duty. However, for contracts for purchase of cranes that were executed before April 17, those tariffs won't apply as long as they are imported before April 18, 2027.
Intermodal chassis and parts of those chassis also will face a 100% tariff. Even though there are trade remedies on Chinese chassis, one commenter told USTR that Chinese chassis are still 17.8% of imports.
USTR also is proposing new tariffs, and is taking comments on those proposals through Nov. 10.
It proposes tariffs of up to 150% on rubber tire gantry cranes, rail mounted gantry cranes, automatic staking cranes, reachstackers, straddle carriers, terminal tractors, top handlers (which may also be referred to as top loaders), and parts of these machines.
It is asking whether any more products should be added to that list, how high the duty should go, and how quickly the tariffs should go on.