AsianFin -- U.S. lawmakers, labor unions, and steel manufacturers faced off against shipping companies and farm exporters on Monday over a Trump administration proposal to impose million-dollar levies on China-linked ships docking in the U.S.
During a hearing at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, more than 30 witnesses testified, with members of Congress joining virtually to weigh in on the state of the U.S. shipbuilding industry. While there was broad consensus on the need to address China’s dominance, concerns mounted that the proposed levies could do more harm than good.
Ocean carriers and farm exporters warned that the fees would disrupt global supply chains and cripple key sectors of the U.S. economy. Joe Kramek, CEO of the World Shipping Council, urged the USTR to abandon the plan, arguing that U.S. shipyards are already struggling with order backlogs—particularly from the military—and labor shortages, limiting their ability to absorb new demand.
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