A shipyard in Shanghai. China is by far the world's biggest commercial shipbuilder -- a fact U.S. President Donald Trump aims to change with million-dollar port fees. © Reuters
STELLA YIFAN XIE and KEN MORIYASU
HONG KONG/WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump wants to make American shipbuilding great again. But one of the pillars of his plan -- imposing million-dollar fees on vessels made by China each time they dock in the U.S. -- received significant pushback from industry insiders on Monday, warning that ill-designed levies could have devastating consequences for American companies and workers.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, which probed China's outsized influence in global shipping a year ago, kicked off two days of public hearings in Washington to seek comment on the proposals, which include charging up to $1.5 million whenever a Chinese-built or owned ship calls at a U.S. port.