USA puts 25% tariff on Chinese-made port equipment
Source
American Shipper
Post Date
10/01/2024
The US Trade Representative? Offices (USTRO) this month published the final version of a set of tariff actions, under which the USA will put a 25% tariff on Chinese-made port cranes imported into the country.
The levy as such had already been announced earlier, but the latest PORTS & TERMINALS revision of the rules makes sure that most terminal operators will still be able to receive already-ordered port equipment tariff-free.
Ship-to-shore cranes ordered before 14 May 2024, and arriving by 14 May 2026, will be exempt from the tariff.
In a statement, the USTRO said: These s do not reflect further consideration or ation of the review? finding that, while the PRC had changed some specific unfair measures, the PRC? harmful forced technology transfer practices ?in particular its cyber theft and industrial espionage ?have continued, and in some instances, worsened.
The USA and China had been fighting over the legitimacy of import tariffs for many years. A first attempt to put such a penalty on port equipment came from the Trump administration in 2019, but was thwarted by the US ports and their special interest groups.
Earlier this year President Joe Biden signed an utive order aimed at increasing cyber-security at marine ports and terminals in the United States of America effectively banning Chinese made equipment from the USA.
In July, Konecranes of Finland then announced plans to manufacture large ship-to-shore container cranes in the United States or in safelisted partner countries such as Japan.
The USTRO? new plans suggest that crane procurement from China will remain legal, but equipment manufactured in China might no longer be competitive under the new rules.
