CMA CGM Rules Out Surcharge Ahead of U.S. Fees on Chinese Tonnage

France’s CMA CGM, the world’s third-largest containerline, has told clients it is fully prepared for next month’s hiked port fees in the U.S. for Chinese-linked tonnage, and that it does not envisage implementing surcharges because of the new ruling. 

In April, the U.S. Trade Representative detailed plans to start charging China-linked tonnage calling at U.S. ports from October 14 this year, in a bid to both curb China’s dominance in the field of shipbuilding and boost domestic shipyard capabilities. The final rules remain unpublished. Customs & Border Protection is working on a collection system.

CMA CGM said it has been rejigging its fleet to ensure it will be ready for the new rules, telling clients: “Despite the challenges this new service fee may create for our operations, based on the current structure and applicability of the service fee, CMA CGM does not plan to implement a surcharge at this time to cover USTR-related fees as currently structured.”

Read more in an article from Splash.