Shipping policy

I. Core Policy Framework and Strategic Orientation
U.S. logistics policy presents a three-dimensional structure of "national security first, industrial protection as the core, and rule restructuring as the guideline," with core objectives including:
  1. Revitalizing domestic manufacturing: Supporting the declining shipping and shipbuilding industries through policy leverage to address wartime logistics supply shortages;
  1. Containing competitors: Suppressing the logistics industry advantages of countries like China through unilateral measures to maintain U.S. dominance in global supply chains;
  1. Balancing efficiency and regulation: Continuing deregulation in domestic logistics while strengthening security inspections and tax collection in cross-border logistics.
Policy formulation involves multi-level entities: At the federal level, it is led by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Transportation; state governments focus on infrastructure management and local regulation; internationally, rule coordination is promoted through ally collaboration.
II. Key Policy Areas and 2025 Latest Initiatives
(I) Maritime and International Shipping Policy: Parallel Suppression and Support
  1. Section 301 Investigation Series Sanctions (2024-2025)
  • Core measures: Implementing tiered port docking fees for Chinese shipping and shipbuilding enterprises. Starting from October 2025, fees will be calculated based on net tonnage/container. By 2028, the maximum single docking fee for Chinese shipping companies will reach $7.56 million per vessel (for 10,000 TEU ships);
  • Expanded sanctions: Imposing a 10% additional service fee on third-country goods transshipped through Canada and Mexico to close policy loopholes;
  • Fund usage: The collected fees are earmarked to subsidize the U.S. shipbuilding industry, reducing its manufacturing cost disadvantage which is five times that of Asia.
  1. Executive Order "Restoring U.S. Maritime Dominance" (April 2025)
  • Mandatory requirements: 100% of U.S. government procurement goods must be transported by U.S.-flagged vessels; the proportion of Chinese exports to the U.S. transported by U.S.-flagged vessels will be gradually increased to 10%;
  • Tariff escalation: Proposing targeted tariffs on Chinese-made port cranes and other freight equipment to restrict foreign-funded equipment from entering U.S. ports.
  1. "U.S. Ship Act 2.0" (April 2025)
  • Blacklist system: Listing China State Shipbuilding Corporation as a "concerned shipyard," with plans to expand the blacklist scope after 2027;
  • Additional penalties: Levying a port fee of $5 per net ton on foreign shipping companies that order or repair ships in China.
(II) Cross-Border Logistics and Tariff Policy: Tightening Tax Exemptions and Strengthening Collection
  1. New Rules for Small Parcel Tariffs (Effective August 2025)
  • Ending nearly 90 years of tax exemption: Abolishing the duty-free treatment for imported parcels valued below
    800,retainingonlyexemptionsfordocuments/giftsbelow

    100;
  • Tax calculation methods: During the transition period (until February 2026), enterprises can choose ad valorem taxation (based on the country of origin's tariff rate) or specific taxation (three tiers:
    80/

    160/$200 per item); ad valorem taxation will be uniformly adopted thereafter;
  • Compliance requirements: Parcels must declare detailed information such as commodity quantity, country of origin, and component sources; late payment of tariffs will result in fines.
  1. Policy impacts: Global parcel shipments to the U.S. dropped by 81% on the first day; 88 countries/regions suspended some postal services; U.S. consumers and small and medium-sized enterprises will bear an additional $47 billion in costs annually.
(III) Domestic Logistics Policy: Deregulation and Technological Adaptation
  1. Legacy of Historical Deregulation (1980s to Present)
  • Rail transportation: The Staggers Rail Act liberalized freight pricing and contracts, promoting industry consolidation (merging 40 major enterprises into 4), reducing freight rates by 60%;
  • Highway transportation: Relaxation of interstate transportation restrictions has facilitated the formation of cross-regional logistics networks but also led to low wages for truck drivers and labor shortages.
  1. Regulatory Adaptation for Emerging Technologies
  • Drone logistics: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has relaxed restrictions on commercial drone operations to improve the efficiency of emergency material delivery in remote areas;
  • E-commerce logistics: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has strengthened supervision over data protection and marketing compliance, requiring cross-border e-commerce platforms to fulfill full disclosure obligations.
(IV) Environmental and Security Regulatory Policies
  1. Adjustments to environmental policies: In June 2025, the Trump administration revoked California's exemption from vehicle emission standards under the Clean Air Act through a Congressional Review Act resolution, weakening environmental constraints on logistics transportation;
  1. Strengthened security inspections: Incorporating logistics supply chains into the national security review system, requiring stricter source verification for cross-border parcels on the grounds of "preventing the import of prohibited items."
III. Policy Implementation Mechanisms and Regulatory Tools
  1. Unilateral sanction tools: Section 301 investigations, anti-dumping and countervailing duties, entity lists, etc., to implement targeted suppression bypassing WTO rules;
  1. Ally coordination mechanism: Requiring the USTR to coordinate allies to adopt similar logistics restriction measures against China within 90 days, building a "small yard, high fence" style trade barrier;
  1. Market intervention methods: Forcing market share division through executive orders and guiding enterprises to "de-Chinaize" supply chains through tax subsidies;
  1. Technological regulatory empowerment: Promoting the digitization of customs clearance systems and using big data to track parcel flows to enhance the efficiency of compliance inspections.
IV. Policy Controversies and Far-Reaching Impacts
  1. Domestic level:
  • Cost shifting: Docking fees, tariffs, and other costs are ultimately borne by U.S. consumers and small and medium-sized enterprises, pushing up inflationary pressures;
  • Industry differentiation: The shipbuilding industry benefits from subsidies, while the retail and cross-border e-commerce sectors face operational difficulties, with some enterprises being forced to withdraw from the market.
  1. International level:
  • Supply chain disruptions: Global shipping routes have been restructured; Chinese shipping enterprises have been forced to withdraw from North American routes (26%-35% of capacity on U.S. East/West Coast routes affected);
  • Rule conflicts: Unilateral policies violate the WTO's most-favored-nation treatment principle, triggering retaliatory measures from many countries and impacting the global postal cooperation system.
  1. Long-term risks:
  • Market distortion: Government mandatory intervention leads to disorderly competition in the shipping market, potentially triggering a systemic rise in global logistics costs;
  • Technological regression: Excessive protection may weaken the innovation drive of the U.S. logistics industry, deviating from the trends of digitalization and green transformation.

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