China is imposing new port fees on U.S. ships and placing sanctions on five U.S. subsidiaries of South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Marine Corporation in response to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s Section 301 investigation of China’s maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors (see 2506100023).
President Donald Trump, on his way to Israel, softened his message on tariffs on Chinese goods. When asked if imposing those tariffs was still the plan, he said, "Right now it is. Let's see what happens. November 1st is an eternity."
Shippers will face no new charges after Section 301 fees on Chinese-built and -owned vessels take effect Oct. 14, DHL said in its monthly ocean freight update. Most carriers have moved their Chinese-built vessels onto other routes, so that only about 15% of capacity is Chinese-owned and 5% is Chinese-built on trans-Pacific eastbound routes, and even lower percentages are affected on trans-Atlantic westbound routes.
President Donald Trump reacted angrily to China's plan to expand export restrictions, including when rare earths are in products made abroad (see 2510090021. In a social media post that seemed to trigger a 2.7% drop in the S&P 500, he wrote, "Dependent on what China says about the hostile 'order' that they have just put out, I will be forced, as President of the United States of America, to financially counter their move. For every Element that they have been able to monopolize, we have two."
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.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of Sept. 29 - Oct. 5:
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Chris Duncan, former partner at Stein Shostak, has joined Squire Patton in the international trade and foreign investment practice group in the firm's Los Angeles office, the firm announced. Prior to joining Stein Shostak, Duncan worked for 16 years at CBP as a senior attorney, most recently holding the position of assistant chief counsel in San Francisco. Duncan works on a host of customs issues, including on classification, Section 301 tariffs, valuation, country of origin and marking rules, the firm said.
The vessel operator is responsible for determining whether the vessel is subject to new fees on Chinese-built and -operated vessels calling at U.S. ports, CBP said in an Oct. 3 cargo systems message.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said that while the administration doesn't expect to lose its tariff case at the Supreme Court, "wherever we end up," the approach will be similar to what it is now.