Port fees, another foot-shooting proposal

China is a major player in the global maritime sector. That the United States has now turned its fire on China's shipbuilding and maritime shipping sector is another indication that the US administration is relentlessly intensifying its bid to suppress China's development.

In a move that is expected to create chaos in the world ocean shipping industry, and hugely disrupt global trade flows and supply chains, the administration has proposed steep new fees on Chinese-built and Chinese-operated ships docking at US ports.

US President Donald Trump is reportedly drafting an executive order that would impose fees on any vessel that enters a US port, "regardless of where it was built or flagged, if that vessel is part of a fleet that includes vessels built or flagged in the PRC". The US would also impose tariffs on Chinese cargo-handling equipment, according to the draft order.