PARIS, May 16 (Reuters) – French shipping giant CMA CGM plans to reorganize its global fleet to circumvent upcoming U.S. port fees imposed on Chinese-built vessels, which will come into effect this October, according to the company’s CFO Ramon Fernandez.
These port charges, introduced by the U.S. government to counter China’s shipbuilding dominance and boost American maritime transport, pose new operational challenges for shipping companies. However, recent adjustments by Washington have softened the impact of the fee scheme, Fernandez said in an interview with Reuters.
With a fleet of roughly 670 ships, less than half are Chinese-built, allowing CMA CGM sufficient capacity to adapt and avoid the fees. Chinese companies face the highest levies under this tiered system when docking at U.S. ports.
Fernandez noted that all shipping firms, including China’s COSCO, will adjust to the new fees, though he did not comment on how this might affect the Ocean Alliance — a vessel-sharing partnership including CMA CGM and COSCO.
CMA CGM, the world’s third-largest container shipping company, was previously commended by former U.S. President Donald Trump for a $20 billion investment plan in the U.S. The company reported a 4.2% year-over-year increase in maritime volumes in Q1, largely due to a surge in shipments before U.S. tariff announcements on April 2.
Despite tariff escalations earlier in April that dampened China-U.S. trade, recent Sino-American tariff relief has revived demand. Fernandez added that roughly half of May’s bookings between China and the U.S. were canceled before rebounding this week.
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