Cosco Shipping, Orient Overseas could be staring at over US$2.1 billion in US port fees: HSBC

[SINGAPORE] China lines Cosco Shipping Holdings and Orient Overseas (International) could be hit by US port fees amounting to more than US$2.1 billion in 2026, a report by HSBC indicated.

The US Trade Representative’s new fees on Chinese vessels entering ports in the nation are scheduled to take effect from Oct 14, 2025. The fees will impact Chinese owners and operators, as well as ships built in China. Only smaller Chinese-built ships and those that make short-haul voyages will be exempted from fees.

In a research report on global container shipping released on Monday (Sep 8), HSBC forecast that Chinese sea carriers will be the worst hit by the fees. In contrast, the impact would be “negligible” for non-Chinese lines.