News

The U.S. will soon establish new fees for vessels owned, operated, or built in China, and for all foreign-built vehicle carrier vessels.

• Annex 1: Effective as of October 14, 2025, a $50 fee per net ton for an arriving vessel owned or operated by a Chinese entity
• Annex 2: Effective as of October 14, 2025, the higher of an $18 fee per net ton, or $120 for each container discharged, from an arriving Chinese-built vessel
• Annex 3: Effective as of October 14, 2025, a $14 fee per net ton for an arriving vessel classified as a vehicle carrier or roll-on/roll-off vessel.

Responsible parties are strongly encouraged to pay fees before vessel arrival, as vessels without proof of payment will be subject to denial of lading or unlading operations, or granting of clearance withheld, until proof of payment can be verified. It is recommended to initiate payment at least three business days in advance of vessel arrival.

“China will take necessary countermeasures against countries or regions that impose or support discriminatory bans, restrictions, or similar measures targeting Chinese operators, vessels, or crew engaged in international maritime transport and related services.” – Chinese Premier Li Qiang via a State Council decree

 

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The U.S. has imposed tariffs on imports of pharmaceuticals and heavy trucks, effective October 1st. 

• 100% tariffs on branded and patented pharmaceuticals entering the U.S., unless a company is “building their pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in America.”
• Washington will also impose a 25% import tax on all heavy-duty trucks.

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On August 29th, a federal appeals court ruled that many tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) exceeded presidential authority. Enforcement of these tariffs remains in place until mid-October, pending a potential Supreme Court appeal. Several measures could be affected if the ruling stands, though other tariffs (Section 301, 232) are based on different statutes and are not directly addressed by this decision. 

• The Trump administration recently submitted a 49-page brief urging the high court to affirm Trump’s broad emergency levies.  

• Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that if the high court rules Trump did not have the authority to impose the tariffs, the U.S. government could be obligated to refund importers anywhere from $750b to $1t.  

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Shippers have 45 days to submit comments evaluating the U.S.-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) free trade agreement governing cross-border trade between the U.S., Mexico and Canada.  

When the USMCA was signed in 2020, the three countries agreed to conduct a joint review meeting every six years to assess and potentially update the terms of the deal.  

Federal Register Notice

Over the next decade, the Panama Canal Authority plans to invest >$8b in strategic projects in four key sectors:  

1. Water availability and security: The plans call for a new reservoir that would provide water for both the canal and human consumption.
2. Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) pipelines: The Panama Canal’s new energy pipeline project will transport propane, butane, and ethane between the Gulf of Mexico and Northeast Asia, thus freeing up canal capacity without additional water usage. The goal is to enhance the canal’s performance by reducing vessel wait times.
3. Roads connecting the Atlantic and Pacific coasts
4. Terminals built on either coast, with the terminals able to accommodate both containers and roll-on and roll-off (RoRo) cargo.

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60+ shipping containers fell from a cargo ship, the MV Mississippi (IMO 9954187), at the Port of Long Beach’s main channel at Pier G. According to Cargowise records, no OIA Global freight was loaded on the MV Mississippi at the time of the accident.

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