In a significant move to ease trade tensions, China has announced the suspension of special port fees imposed on United States vessels for one year. This decision comes as part of a fragile trade truce between the world's two largest economies.
Simultaneous Suspension of Trade Measures
The Chinese transport ministry confirmed that the suspension of port fees began at 13:01 (05:01 GMT) on Monday, November 10, 2025. This action was taken simultaneously with Washington's decision to pause similar levies targeting Chinese ships.
The development follows last month's meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump in South Korea, where both leaders agreed to walk back some punitive trade measures that had created volatility in global markets.
At the peak of their trade dispute, both nations had imposed prohibitive triple-digit duties that severely hampered bilateral trade and created significant disruptions to global supply chains.
Impact on Shipbuilding Industry
The suspended port fees specifically applied to ships operated by or built in the United States that visited Chinese ports. This comes against the backdrop of a dramatically shifted global shipbuilding landscape.
The US shipbuilding industry, once dominant after the Second World War, now accounts for just 0.1 percent of global output. Meanwhile, Asia has emerged as the clear leader in ship construction, with China building nearly half of all ships launched worldwide, ahead of South Korea and Japan.
Sanctions Against Hanwha Subsidiaries Lifted
In a related development, Beijing has also suspended sanctions against five US subsidiaries of Hanwha Ocean, one of South Korea's largest shipbuilding companies. The year-long suspension took effect from November 10.
According to China's commerce ministry, this decision is directly linked to the US halting port fees it had imposed on Chinese-built and operated vessels. The affected Hanwha subsidiaries include:
- Hanwha Shipping LLC
- Hanwha Philly Shipyard Inc.
- Hanwha Ocean USA International LLC
- Hanwha Shipping Holdings LLC
- HS USA Holdings Corp
China had originally imposed these sanctions in October, accusing the companies of supporting a US government "Section 301" investigation that questioned the reasonableness of Beijing's dominance in the shipbuilding sector.
Broader Thaw in Economic Relations
These suspensions represent the latest indicators of improving economic ties since the Xi-Trump meeting. Earlier last week, China extended the suspension of additional tariffs on US goods for one year, maintaining them at 10 percent while also suspending some tariffs on soybeans and other agricultural products.
Additional confidence-building measures include China's suspension of an export ban on gallium, germanium, and antimony - metals crucial for modern technology - which took effect on Sunday. Beijing has also agreed to halt for one year restrictions on the export of rare earths technology.
In reciprocal moves, Washington has suspended for one year export restrictions on affiliates of blacklisted foreign companies in which they hold at least a 50 percent stake.
A planned Chinese probe into whether the Section 301 investigation impacted the security and development interests of China's shipbuilding industry and supply chain has also been shelved for one year, according to the transport ministry.
These coordinated actions signal a cautious but meaningful step toward normalizing trade relations between the economic superpowers, though both nations continue to navigate their complex competitive and cooperative relationship.
