On Friday, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the U.S. government agency for the development and promotion of U.S. foreign trade, announced proposals to amend the plan for new tariffs to be applied to the ships linked to China that dock in American ports which is was defined last April and which will be applied to starting from mid-October ( of 18 April 2025). The USTR has proposed to tax capacity of car carriers on the basis of their net tonnage Instead of the capacity calculated in Car Equivalent Unit (CEU), that is, on the number of standard cars that can be loaded on the ship. In addition, the government agency has proposed to eliminate the Gas Export License Suspension Provision liquefied natural material applicable retroactively from last 17 April and borne by those American exporters who within four 1% of U.S. LNG exports to ships will not move in the next few years built and operated by U.S. and flagged entities American.

The USTR explained that the calculation of ship fees Garage on the basis of net tonnage rather than CEUs will be easier from an administrative point of view and reduce the possibility of evasion of the obligation to pay the fee. The proposal to delete the clause that provides for the suspension of export licences has been introduced in order to allay concerns about the impact of the Provision on the U.S. natural gas industry liquified.

Among the trade associations that had raised criticism to the new tariffs introduced by the federal administration the World Shipping Council had called the decision to tax all foreign car carriers ( of 19 May 2025), while the American Petroleum Institute (API) had highlighted how the measures would damage both the role of the USA as an exporter of energy products that the same agenda of President Donald Trump for the energy sector.

The USTR has launched a public consultation phase on the new proposals on car carriers and LNG vessels that will be completed next July 7.