Italian shipping giant Grimaldi Group has warned that the reinstatement of US port fees on foreign-built vehicle carriers could force it to redeploy vessels away from American routes, threatening shipping services relied upon by US exporters and automotive manufacturers.
In a filing submitted to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on 30 October, Grimaldi urged the Trump administration to extend the suspension of Section 301 port fees until 9 January 2027, while calling for the charges on foreign-built vehicle carriers to be scrapped permanently.
The company warned that reinstating the fees could prompt it to withdraw vessels from US trades, potentially disrupting established shipping networks and increasing uncertainty for American businesses dependent on its services. “Many of our American customers have expressed concern at the thought of Grimaldi redeploying its ships out of US trades if the proposed further suspension of this Section 301 action is not implemented,” the company said in its submission.
The warning comes as Washington considers a two-month extension of the existing suspension, which is due to expire on 9 November. The proposed extension would keep the fees on hold until 9 January 2027, giving the United States and China more time to negotiate over Beijing’s dominance of the global shipbuilding industry.
Grimaldi argued that reinstating the charges could undermine American commercial interests rather than strengthen them, pointing to the substantial volume of US-linked cargo transported by its vessels. Over the past three years, the company handled nearly 985,000 tonnes of US exports and 1.31 million tonnes of imports.
American automakers accounted for 74.7 per cent of its US import volumes, while 86 per cent of all cargo carried on its US trades comprised American exports or imports associated with US automotive manufacturers. “Few shipping lines have such a high percentage of American cargo,” Grimaldi said.
Seeking to reinforce its case, the Italian group highlighted its longstanding ties with the United States, noting that it has called at American ports since 2001 and supplied cargo ships to the US Navy during the Second Gulf War. The dispute centres on Section 301 measures introduced by Washington to counter China’s dominance of global maritime transport, logistics and shipbuilding.
The fees target Chinese-owned and Chinese-operated vessels, Chinese-built ships and certain foreign-built vehicle carriers.