United States · Proposed legislation
USTR proposes extending China maritime Section 301 suspension
On 23 October 2026, the Office of the United States Trade Representative placed a notice on public inspection proposing to extend for two months the suspension of specified Section 301 maritime-service fees and cargo-equipment duties arising from its China maritime and shipbuilding investigation.
- Official document:
- Federal Register Document 2026-21755; docket USTR-2026-0694
- Development date:
- 2026-10-23
The proposal would run from 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time on 10 November 2026 through 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on 9 January 2027. USTR says the additional period would allow negotiations with China to continue. It is not yet a final modification: comments must be filed by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on 30 October under docket USTR-2026-0694, and the notice is scheduled for Federal Register publication on 26 October.[1]
The proposal continues an existing suspension
USTR originally adopted service fees in April 2025 under sections 301(b), 301(c) and 304(a) of the Trade Act of 1974. Those measures cover maritime transport services through Annexes I, II and III. An October 2025 modification also imposed 100% additional duties on specified ship-to-shore cranes and certain intermodal chassis and parts under Annex V.A. USTR then suspended the responsive actions from 10 November 2025 through 9 November 2026 after a US–China trade arrangement.[2][3][4]
No fees or duties would accrue during the extra period
If adopted as proposed, no party would accrue liability for, or be required to pay, the Annex I–III maritime-service fees during the two-month extension. The same treatment would apply to the Annex V.A duties. The notice does not cancel the underlying Section 301 action or make the suspension permanent; it proposes a short continuation while the United States seeks changes to the practices examined in the investigation.[1][2][3][4]
Importers and operators should plan for both outcomes
Shipping groups, importers of covered cargo-handling equipment and businesses allocating US landed costs should not treat the January date as operative until USTR issues a final determination. They should identify transactions that could fall on either side of 10 November, retain vessel and entry data needed to test the relevant annex, and monitor the final notice for any change to the proposed period or treatment. Interested parties have a short opportunity to address commercial disruption, supply-chain effects and whether continued suspension would help resolve the investigation.[1][2][3]
Official sources
- [1] Request for Comments on Further Suspension of Section 301 Action: China’s Targeting of the Maritime, Logistics, and Shipbuilding Sectors for Dominance
Office of the United States Trade Representative / Federal Register Public Inspection · Document date: 2026-10-23
All four pages read. Page 1 records the proposed two-month extension, comment dates and scheduled 26 October publication; pages 2–3 specify the proposed 10 November 2026 to 9 January 2027 period, non-accrual of Annex I–III fees and Annex V.A duties, section 307(a)(2) authority and docket USTR-2026-0694; page 4 contains submission procedures and the 23 October filing stamp.
- [2] Notice of Action and Proposed Action in Section 301 Investigation of China’s Maritime, Logistics and Shipbuilding Sectors
Office of the United States Trade Representative / Federal Register · Document date: 2025-04-23
Full official HTML opened; sections A–D and Annexes I–III reviewed for the investigation, statutory authority and maritime-service fee structure. The notice states that formal annex language controls and that the annex fees are not cumulative.
- [3] Notice of Modification and Proposed Modification of Section 301 Action
Office of the United States Trade Representative / Federal Register · Document date: 2025-10-16
Official HTML opened; section B and Annex V.A reviewed for the 100% additional duties on specified ship-to-shore cranes, intermodal chassis and parts, including the contract-and-entry grandfathering rule for certain cranes.
- [4] Notice of Modification of Section 301 Action
Office of the United States Trade Representative / Federal Register · Document date: 2025-11-13
Official HTML opened; dates and sections I–II reviewed. The notice made the existing suspension effective from 10 November 2025 through 9 November 2026 and confirmed that Annex I–III fees and Annex V.A duties do not accrue during that period.