A U.S. investigation has concluded that Beijing is exercising unfair dominance over several sectors and has stated that "urgent action" is needed to address this issue. The Trump administration is proposing to apply tariffs on the use of commercial ships coming from China, arguing that this could counteract the maritime influence of the Asian country.
The U.S. Trade Representative's Office has presented a plan to impose tariffs on ships built in China that transport goods, and it has also proposed that a portion of U.S. products must be transported on U.S.-flagged ships. This proposal arises from an investigation initiated during the Biden administration and finalized days before Donald Trump took office.
Imposing these tariffs could translate into additional costs for U.S. consumers, as higher transportation costs could be reflected in higher prices. Retailers are likely to oppose this measure, pointing out that the extra costs will likely fall on consumers.
The commercial shipping sector is considered crucial, and China currently holds a significant portion of the global commercial fleet. Despite the intentions of the proposed measure to boost shipbuilding in the United States, it is unclear whether this will be sufficient to reverse the country's current shipbuilding capacity, which has deteriorated in recent times.
The proposal to impose tariffs and maritime transport requirements is part of a broader strategy by the Trump administration in the trade wars, focusing on balancing the scales with China and other countries. The initiative aims to counteract China's growing dominance in shipbuilding, logistics, and maritime sectors, which has increased significantly in recent decades.
