US-China Maritime Truce: Port-Fee Standoff Paused for One Year.

In a surprising de-escalation of maritime trade tensions, China and the United States have agreed to suspend their reciprocal port-fee regime for one year - a move that offers a sigh of relief for global shipping lines and importers but also signals a high-stakes pause rather than a resolution of underlying supply-chain conflict.

What’s going on?

• The U.S. had imposed new fees under its Section 301 investigation targeting China’s maritime, logistics, and ship-building sectors, effective October 14, 2025.

• China responded with “special port service fees” on U.S-owned, operated, or U.S-flagged vessels calling at Chinese ports on the same date.

• On November 10, 2025, China’s Ministry of Transport announced a suspension of its retaliatory port fees for one year, effective immediately.

• Washington confirmed a one-year pause of its own fee regime, providing mutual relief for both sides.

Why it matters for supply-chains & logistics

The removal (for now) of these layered port fees eliminates a risk premium that had begun to creep into freight cost forecasting. Before the truce, shipping lines were already rerouting vessels and adjusting schedules to avoid fee-exposed ports.

For importers and exporters, the pause provides breathing room - a chance to stabilise landed cost models without the “what-if surcharge” buffers that had recently complicated pricing.

However, this is a temporary truce, not a permanent fix. Logistics professionals should view this as an opportunity to tighten contracts, update costing models, and prepare for a possible re-escalation in late 2026.

For Australian supply chains, which are highly exposed to trans-Pacific flows, this window offers a moment to renegotiate freight contracts, enhance visibility tools, and strengthen supplier alignment before the next potential policy shift.

Key points to watch

1. Time limit: The pause lasts just one year - unless further negotiations deliver a longer-term maritime accord, fees could return after November 2026.

2. Underlying dispute remains: The U.S. continues to argue that China’s maritime and ship-building sectors benefit from unfair subsidies; China views the U.S. measures as discriminatory.

3. Freight cost volatility persists: Even during the pause, carriers may hedge future risk or adjust capacity, keeping upward pressure on rates.

4. Secondary flashpoints: The truce applies only to port fees. Broader trade tensions - tech controls, rare-earth restrictions, and tariff threats - still hang in the background.

   
   

   Actions for supply-chain teams:

   • Review contracts to include maritime policy risk clauses.

   • Re-run landed-cost models factoring potential fee reinstatements.

   • Keep close tabs on carrier deployment and service adjustments.

   • Use this period to communicate clearly with customers and suppliers.

This one-year moratorium is a welcome but temporary reprieve. It removes immediate cost pressure on global shippers, but it doesn’t settle the deeper contest for dominance in ship-building and logistics between the world’s two biggest economies.

For importers, exporters, and freight professionals, especially in Australia, this is a moment to leverage calm waters: lock in stable contracts, refine cost forecasts, and ensure digital visibility tools are ready before uncertainty resurfaces.

In short: breathe, recalibrate, and be ready. The world’s biggest maritime rivalry just hit “pause,” not “stop.”

Sources: South China Morning Post