Waterway News From The Nation’s Capital

Washington, D.C.—The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is requesting comments and has scheduled a public hearing on additional tariff actions proposed against China for targeting maritime, logistical and ship-building sectors. Those proposals have already triggered a stern warning from some members of the U.S. maritime industry.

Following a year-long Section 301 investigation, Ambassador Jamieson Greer spoke of the importance of ships and shipping to American economic security and the free flow of commerce.

“The Trump administration’s actions will begin to reverse Chinese dominance, address threats to the U.S. supply chain and send a demand signal for U.S.-built ships,” Greer said in a press release.

Scheduled to occur in two phases over several years to limit the disruption for U.S. exporters, those actions include service fees on maritime transport services of Chinese operators and ship owners, operators using Chinese-built vessels and operators of foreign-built vehicle carriers, as well as restrictions on maritime transport services for U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The USTR also is proposing additional tariffs on certain ship-to-shore cranes and other cargo handling equipment of China.

Possibly lasting more than one day, the public hearing on the proposed tariffs is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. May 19 in the main room of the U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E St., SW, Washington, DC 20436. Requests to appear at the hearing along with a summary of the testimony must be submitted under Docket No. USTR-2025-0009 by May 8. Comments on the proposed tariffs must be submitted under Docket No. USTR-2025-0008 by May 19. Submissions for both can be made at https://comments.ustr.gov/s/.

Expressing appreciation for the Trump administration’s willingness to incorporate industry’s concerns, the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) stated it still sees “serious challenges.” AAPA President and CEO Cary Davis said the policy will drive up the cost of shipping, reduce volume through the nation’s trade gateways and make goods, especially automobiles, more expensive for everyday American consumers. If a typical roll-on roll-off vessel can transport 6,000 cars, the total fee on foreign-built cars could reach almost $1 million per vessel, Davis said.

On the potential for an additional 100 percent tax on cargo handling equipment (CHE), bringing the tariff as high as 270 percent on ship-to-shore cranes, Davis said the administration must remember that there are currently no domestic manufacturers of ship-to-shore cranes.

AAPA said it will encourage ports to contact their congressional delegations to oppose new CHE tariffs and champion legislation to create a production tax credit for domestically produced CHE to incentivize reshoring.

According to the USTR, the action to restore American shipbuilding and reverse China’s dominance has drawn widespread praise from unions, manufacturers, farmers and lawmakers.

Tariff Tones

On the same day his trade representative laid out his latest tariff proposals in the Federal Register, President Donald Trump struck what some thought was a softer tone when speaking of China and tariffs.

“We are going to have a fair deal with China,” he told reporters as he also revealed plans for two new flag poles on the White House grounds “paid for by Trump.”

Some observers linked Trump’s new tone to a meeting he had with several major retailers.

According to Axios, the CEOs of Home Depot, Walmart and Target were at the meeting. A key takeaway was a warning that within weeks consumers could be facing not only higher prices but also empty shelves because of the president’s trade and tariff policies.

RNA Comments

The Coast Guard is seeking comments on its proposal to establish a regulated navigation area (RNA) to control vessel movement for certain waters of Lake Michigan, the Ludington Harbor Channel and Pere Marquette Lake in Ludington, Mich. Comments and related material must be received by June 23 and may be submitted at www.regulations.gov under Docket No. USCG-2024-1102. According to the Coast Guard, the action is necessary to provide for the safety of life, environment and property on the navigable waters due to hazardous conditions resulting from increased vessel traffic congestion.

“Of particular concern, large commercial vessels were forced to take emergent action on several occasions to avoid imminent collision with these highly concentrated vessels,” the Coast Guard stated.

For additional information, contact Lt. Cmdr. Jessica Anderson at 414-216-8428 or d09-smb-seclakemichigan-wwm@uscg.mil.

Advisory Committee

The Coast Guard is accepting applications to fill one vacancy on the Great Lakes Pilotage Advisory Committee, which provides advice to the secretary of Homeland Security via the Coast Guard commandant.

To be considered for the vacancy, applicants must be nominated by shippers whose cargoes are transported through Great Lakes ports and should have expertise, knowledge and experience regarding the regulations and policies on the pilotage vessels on the Great Lakes and at least five years of practical experience in maritime operations.

Applications must reach the Coast Guard by May 6 and should be submitted via email with the subject line ‘‘Application for GLPAC’’ to Francis Levesque at francis.r.levesque@ uscg.mil. For additional information, contact Francis Levesque at 571-308-4941 or francis.r.levesque@uscg.mil.

Controlled Carrier List

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) announced it has classified the Chinese-Polish Joint Stock Shipping Company (Chipolbrok) as a controlled carrier of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and is adding it to its Controlled Carrier List. Jointly owned by the governments of the PRC and the Republic of Poland, the FMC said, Chipolbrok is headquartered in Shanghai.

According to the FMC, a comprehensive review of the company’s ownership structure determined that the government of the PRC exerts more control over the corporate structure and commercial activities of Chipolbrok than the Polish partner. Determining factors leading to the decision are summarized in the FMC’s Notice of Determination.

WRDA Comment Period

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced a two-day extension of its public comment period on any provision of the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024, citing an April 25-28 outage with the General Services Administration’s eRulemaking services. Comments now must be submitted by April 30.

Identified by Docket No. COE-2024-0004, comments may be submitted via www.regulations.gov, by email at WRDA2024@usace.army.mil or by mail to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, ATTN: Ms. Amy Frantz, CEW–P, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 3F91, 441 G St. NW, Washington, DC 20314.

For additional information, contact Lauren Leuck at 703-839-0383 or lauren.d.leuck.civ@army.mil.