In a joint letter on 23 September to US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer, over 200 importers, exporters, and transportation groups – including the International Chamber of Shipping, the World Shipping Council, and the Chamber of Shipping of America – urged the administration to delay the fees before the current one-year suspension expires on 9 November.   “Because China-built vessels represent a meaningful share of global ocean carrier capacity, the practical effect of the tariffs and fees would not be limited to a narrow set of market participants,” the groups warned.   “Instead, the costs would ripple across shipping networks, affect vessel deployment decisions, and increase uncertainty for businesses that have limited ability to control the ownership, operation, or construction history of the vessels used to transport their goods.”    Last year the USTR announced that effective 10 November 2025, the US would suspend for one year the implementation of port fees on certain Chinese-built vessels, vessels with Chinese owners or operators, and foreign-built vehicle carriers calling at US ports. The Transport Ministry of China had likewise declared that China would suspend its own retaliatory port fees against the US for one year.    Unless USTR publishes a further extension, the maritime fees imposed by the US against China will come back into force. It is expected that in such a scenario the retaliatory Chinese port fees against US linked shipping would also be reinstated.    Neither Trump nor Xi mentioned specifically the maritime fees during their opening public statements at the White House summit on Thursday (24 Sep) morning, focusing instead on mutual cooperation between the two superpowers.    “The interests of China and the United States are deeply intertwined, and there is plenty of room for us to work together,” Xi said in his remarks alongside Trump. “China-U.S. cooperation may not solve every problem in the world, but without our cooperation, it would be hard to solve many of the world’s problems.”    Xi added, “China keeps its door wide open, welcomes American companies wanting to invest and do business there. We hope Chinese companies are treated fairly here in the United States.”     US supply chains, meanwhile, continue to face mounting pressure due to broader uncertainty in global trade lanes, the coalition emphasized in their letter to the USTR.     “Many businesses are still working through higher costs for ocean freight, trucking, warehousing, insurance, and inventory management,” they wrote. “These costs compound quickly and are ultimately borne by U.S. businesses, workers, farmers, and consumers.”