Hopes rise that draconian US port fee plan will be watered down
- Trump’s executive order on shipbuilding excluded language on port fees that was included in the draft version
- USTR will release its port fee ruling on April 17, followed by implementation phase with hearing on specifics in mid-May. US would begin charging fees by mid-November
- Lobbying by the shipping industry, importers and exporters appears to have convinced administration that unintended consequences of original plan would be too severe
Decisions on tariffs come right from the top — from the president himself. In contrast, the US port fee review process is following the normal regulatory course, with the administration appearing to take business feedback into account