Still no final USTR rule less than two months before port fee deadline
- Zim CFO believes US-China trade talk extension through November could affect October timetable for US port fees; Zim has yet to redeploy tonnage
- Flexport sees evidence that other container lines have begun moving some China-built ships out of US strings
- Concern is that USTR retains October deadline but publishes final rule late, limiting ability to redeploy China-built vessels
The USTR port fee plan has been heavily watered down, but it will be costly nonetheless. There is still no sign of the final rule as the clock ticks down to the proposed October 14 start for US port fees on China-built ships
