Overview
- USTR’s Section 301 port-fee program took effect on Oct. 14, and ACL paid an initial $1.4 million after CBP classified its hybrid vessels as Ro/Ro container ships.
- Each vessel can be charged for up to five U.S. port calls per year under the rule, leading ACL to estimate roughly $34 million in annual fees across its service.
- USTR confirmed it uses International Classification of Ships by Type reporting, which is based on vessel construction rather than the cargo being carried at a given time.
- The program also revises Ro/Ro fee calculations to charge by net tonnage instead of vehicle count, a change ACL says amplifies costs for its hybrid design.
- ACL warns ongoing charges could force redeployment from U.S. trade lanes and disrupt weekly services that U.S. importers and exporters depend on.