Sign On Letter: Request to Extend Suspension of the Section 301 China-Built Vessel Fees – September 23, 2026

The Honorable Jamieson Greer
United States Trade Representative
Office of the United States Trade Representative
600 17th Street NW
Washington, DC 20508
RE: Request to Extend Suspension of the Section 301 China-Built Vessel Fees

Dear Ambassador Greer:

On behalf of the undersigned maritime transportation stakeholders—including importers, exporters, retailers, manufacturers, agriculture groups, logistics providers, and other users of the international freight transportation system—we respectfully urge the Office of the United States Trade Representative to extend the current suspension of the Section 301 vessel fees related to China’s targeting of the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors. USTR suspended these fees for one year beginning November 10, 2025, following the agreement with China announced last November, with the suspension currently scheduled to expire on November 9, 2026. We strongly urge the administration to extend the suspension once again during the summit between President Trump and President Xi.

We appreciate USTR’s efforts to address longstanding concerns regarding unfair practices
affecting the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors. Strengthening U.S. maritime capacity
and resilience is an important national objective. At the same time, imposing new or resumed
fees on China-built or China-linked vessels would create immediate and far-reaching
consequences for U.S. companies that rely on ocean transportation to move goods into and out of the United States.

U.S. supply chains continue to face significant pressure. Importers, exporters, retailers,
manufacturers, and agricultural producers are contending with elevated transportation costs,
shifting carrier capacity, equipment availability challenges, port and inland network constraints,
and broader uncertainty in global trade lanes. Many businesses are still working through higher
costs for ocean freight, trucking, warehousing, insurance, and inventory management. These
costs compound quickly and are ultimately borne by U.S. businesses, workers, farmers, and
consumers.

Resuming the Section 301 vessel fees at this time would add another cost layer to an
already strained transportation system. Because China-built vessels represent a meaningful share of global ocean carrier capacity, the practical effect of the tariffs and fees would not be limited to a narrow set of market participants. Instead, the costs would ripple across shipping networks, affect vessel deployment decisions, and increase uncertainty for businesses that have limited ability to control the ownership, operation, or construction history of the vessels used to transport their goods.

A further delay would benefit both importers and exporters. For importers, it would help
avoid new transportation surcharges that increase landed costs, disrupt purchasing decisions, and place additional pressure on prices for consumer goods, inputs, and components. For exporters, including agricultural producers and manufacturers, avoiding new fees would help preserve reliable and cost-effective access to foreign markets, reduce the risk of retaliatory or reciprocal measures, and support the competitiveness of U.S.-origin goods abroad.

In addition, while the suspension has been in place for nearly a year, it has also demonstrated that vessel fees alone are not a strategy for rebuilding the U.S. shipbuilding industry. The underlying challenges that contributed to China's dominance, including limited domestic shipbuilding capacity, workforce constraints, and a lack of competitive alternatives, remain. Extending the suspension would provide additional time for policymakers to pursue durable solutions that strengthen U.S. maritime competitiveness without increasing costs for American businesses, exporters, and consumers. It would also provide USTR additional time to continue negotiations with China, coordinate with allies and partners, and pursue policies that expand U.S. shipbuilding and maritime capabilities without imposing near-term costs on American freight users. A durable solution should strengthen domestic maritime capacity while preserving the reliable, affordable transportation services that U.S. companies need to compete in global markets.

Accordingly, we respectfully request that USTR extend the delay of the Section 301
vessel fees before the current suspension expires. Doing so would provide needed certainty to the maritime transportation system, protect U.S. importers and exporters from avoidable cost
increases, and support continued progress toward stronger, more resilient supply chains. We continue to urge USTR and the administration to evaluate the true needs to support the revitalization of the domestic shipbuilding industry. There continues to need to be a dedicated strategy with sustained investments, leadership and a long-term commitment from both the public and private sectors to revitalize the domestic industry, without the need of a port fee on Chinese-built vessels that were purchased years ago.

Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to working with USTR to advance
policies that strengthen U.S. maritime competitiveness while supporting the businesses, workers,
farmers, and consumers that depend on reliable international transportation.

Sincerely,

Agribusiness Association of Kentucky
Agribusiness Council of Indiana
Agricultural Retailers Association
Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC)
Airforwarders Association
Alliance for Chemical Distribution
Amcot
American Apparel & Footwear Association
American Association of Port Authorities
American Association of Exporters and Importers
American Bridal and Prom Industry Assoc
American Chemistry Council
American Cleaning Institute
American Cotton Shippers Association
American Down and Feather Council
American Farm Bureau Federation
American Frozen Food Institute
American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers
American Hardwood Export Council
American Logistics Association
American Pet Products Association
American Pistachio Growers
American Pyrotechnics Association
American Road & Transportation Builders
Association
American Soybean Association
American Spice Trade Association
American Trucking Associations
AmericanHort
Arkansas Soybean Association
Associated Builders and Contractors
Associated Equipment Distributors
Association of Equipment Manufacturers
Association of Food Industries
Association of North Dakota Agribusiness
Association of Ship Brokers & Agents USA
(ASBA)
Auto Care Association
Baby Safety Alliance
Big River Coalition, LLC
Boston Custom Brokers & Freight Forwarders
Association
California Bean Shippers Association
California Building Industry Association
California Chamber of Commerce
California Retailers Association
California Trucking Association
California Walnut Commission
CAWA - Representing the Automotive Parts
Industry
Center for LNG
Chamber of Shipping of America
Chicago Customs Brokers & Forwarders
Association
Cleaning Equipment Trade Association
Coalition of New England Companies for
Trade (CONECT)
Columbia River Pilots
Columbia River Steamship Operators'
Association
Commercial Real Estate Development
Association, Inland Empire Chapter
Commercial Real Estate Development
Association of Southern California (CREDA SoCal)
Connecticut Retail Network
Consumer Brands Association
Council of Fashion Designers of America
Exhibition Services & Contractors Association (ESCA)
Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance
Experiential Designers & Producers Association
Fashion Accessories Shippers Association
Florida Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association
Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America (FDRA)
Gemini Shippers Association
Global Business Alliance
Grain and Feed Association of Illinois
Greenabl Shippers Association
Green Coffee Association, Inc.
Greeting Card Association
Growth Energy
Halloween & Costume Association
Hawaii Transportation Association
Harbor Trucking Association
Heating, Air-conditioning, & Refrigeration Distributors
International
Home Fashion Products Association
Household & Commercial Products Association
Houston Customs Brokers & Freight Forwarders
Association (HCBFFA)
Idaho Retailers Association
Illinois Retail Merchants Association
Illinois Soybean Association
Industrial Fasteners Institute
Institute of Makers of Explosives
Intermodal Association of North America
Intermodal Motor Carriers Conference
International Association of Exhibitions & Events
International Chamber of Shipping
International Dairy Foods Association
International Fresh Produce Association
International Housewares Association
International Housewares Shippers Association
International Warehouse Logistics Association (IWLA)
Iowa Retail Federation
Iowa Soybean Association
Kansas Association of Wheat Growers
Kansas Grain and Feed Association
Kansas Soybean Association
Kentucky Retail Federation
Kentucky Soybean Association
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
Los Angeles Customs Broker's & Freight
Forwarder's Association (LACBFFA)
Laredo Licensed U.S. Customs Brokers
Association, Inc.
Lone Star Agribusiness Association
Louisiana Maritime Association
Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association
Marine Exchange of Puget Sound
Maritime Association of the Port of NY/NJ
Maritime Fire and Safety Association
Maryland Retailers Alliance
Meat Institute
Merchants Exchange of Portland
Michigan Agri-Business Association
Mid-Valley Customs Brokers Association
Minnesota Grain and Feed Association
Minnesota Retailers
Minnesota Soybean Growers Association
Missouri Retailers Association
Montana Grain Growers Association
National Asphalt Pavement Association
National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones
(NAFTZ)
National Association of Manufacturers
National Association of Maritime
Organizations (NAMO)
National Association of Wheat Growers
National Association of Wine Retailers
National Association of Wholesaler-
Distributors
National Confectioners Association
National Cotton Council
National Corn Growers Association
National Council of Chain Restaurants
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
National Customs Brokers and Forwarders
Association of America (NCBFAA)
National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC)
National Grain and Feed Association
National Industrial Transportation League
National Lumber & Building Material Dealers
Association
National Milk Producers Federation
National Mining Association
National Oilseed Processors Association
National Pork Producers Council
National Retail Federation
National Seafood Association
National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association
National Turkey Federation
NC Agribusiness Council
NCBFAA Shippers Association
Nebraska Soybean Association
New Jersey Retail Merchants Association
New Orleans Board of Trade
New York New Jersey Foreign Freight
Forwarders and Brokers Association
New York Corn & Soybean Growers Association
North American Association of Food
Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM)
North American Export Grain Association
North American Millers' Association
North Carolina Retail Merchants Association
North Dakota Soybean Growers Association
North Texas Customs Brokers and Freight
Forwarders Assoc
Northwest Horticultural Council
Ohio AgriBusiness Association
Ohio Soybean Association
Outdoor Industry Association
Outdoor Power Equipment Institute
Pacific Northwest Asia Shippers Association
Pacific Northwest Asia Shippers Association
Pacific Northwest Waterways Association
Peanut and Tree Nut Processors Association
Pennsylvania Coal Alliance
Pennsylvania Retailers Association
Performance Racing Industry (PRI)
Pet Food Institute
Plumbing Manufacturers International
Promotional Products Association International
Recycled Materials Association
Retail Council of New York State
Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA)
Retailers Association of Massachusetts
South Dakota Agri-Business Association
Southwest Meat Association
Soy Transportation Coalition
Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA)
Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA)
Supply Chain Federation
Tennessee Soybean Association
Texas Grain & Feed Association
Texas International Produce Association
The Fashion Jewelry and Accessories Trade
Association
The Fertilizer Institute
The Hardwood Federation
The Maritime Exchange for the Delaware
River and Bay
The Sulphur Institute
Toy Shippers Association
Travel Goods Association
New Jersey Retail Merchants Association
U.S. Apple Association
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
U.S. Dairy Export Council
U.S. Fashion Industry Association
U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council
U.S. Meat Export Federation
United States Council for International Business (USCIB)
USA Pulses
USA Pulses Trade Association
Washington Association of Wheat Growers
We Pay the Tariffs
Wine and Spirits Shippers Association
Wisconsin Retailers Alliance
World Shipping Council
Wyoming Ag Business Association
Wyoming Mining Association
Wyoming Wheat Growers Association