Maersk Relocates 2 U.S.-Flagged Vessels to Avoid China’s "Special Port Dues"

Recently, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd—two of the world’s top shipping lines—have made major operational adjustments: two of their U.S.-flagged container ships will suspend calls at Chinese ports after China’s "Special Port Dues" policy takes effect on October 14.

The Potomac Express (with a capacity of 6,435 TEUs), originally scheduled to call at Ningbo Port, will instead unload cargo at Busan, South Korea, for transshipment locally. The Maersk Kinloss will also stop calling at Ningbo, with its cargo transshipped to final destinations via South Korean ports. Cargo destined for the U.S. will be consolidated in South Korea first before being shipped to the U.S.

Both vessels belong to the Gemini Alliance (a partnership between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd) and operate on the trans-Pacific TP7 route.

Under the new regulations, in addition to U.S.-flagged or U.S.-built vessels, any ship operated by an entity in which U.S. individuals or institutions hold a direct or indirect stake of 25% or more, or have corresponding voting rights and board seats, must also pay the special port dues. The only exception is vessels built at Chinese shipyards, which are exempt.

1. For vessels calling at Chinese ports from October 14, 2025: RMB 400 per net ton.

2. For vessels calling at Chinese ports from April 17, 2026: RMB 640 per net ton.

3. For vessels calling at Chinese ports from April 17, 2027: RMB 880 per net ton.

4. For vessels calling at Chinese ports from April 17, 2028: RMB 1,120 per net ton.

For the same vessel, the total Special Port Dues collected shall not exceed 5 voyages per year. April 17 of each year is the start of the annual billing cycle.

According to estimates from Linerlytica, under the new regulations, global carriers may need to pay approximately $2.3 billion in fees for calling at Chinese ports in the first year.

Among them, Maersk is expected to pay nearly $400 million, MSC slightly less, while ZIM Integrated Shipping Services will bear the heaviest burden—over $600 million. The average cost per TEU per voyage will increase by approximately $300.

Since the notice was only issued last Friday, shipping lines have extremely limited time to respond. The industry expects that sea freight rates are likely to rise in the short term.