POTEN LNG SHIPPING OPINION: China Tariffs – Market Shock Or Just A Headache?

This current feature was extracted from the latest edition of Poten’s LNG Shipping Opinion, a service published on October 21, 2025. As the US Trade Representative’s (USTR) port fees on China-linked vessels came into effect on 14 October 2025, China’s Ministry of Transport (MOT) has announced a retaliatory set of tariffs aimed at US-owned, -operated, -flagged or -built ships. The structure broadly mirrors the USTR framework (including the start date) with one key distinction: USTR excludes LNG carriers, while MOT does not. Similar to the US, there is a lack of clarity on the implementation. For example, it is not clear whether the 25% US ownership test applies to a single owner or collectively (smaller percentage owners adding to 25% or more).

To read the full opinion, please click here.