China’s Cosco says US port charges threaten global supply chains

China’s largest container shipping company, Cosco Shipping Lines, has strongly opposed a recent decision by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to impose new port fees on Chinese-built vessels docking at American ports. The company issued a sharp statement on Monday, calling the move "discriminatory" and damaging to global shipping.“We firmly oppose the accusations and the subsequent measures,” Cosco said. “Such actions distort fair competition, disrupt normal operations of the global shipping industry, and threaten the security and stability of global supply chains.”The criticism follows the USTR’s revised fee structure announced last week, replacing a more aggressive earlier plan that faced strong opposition from U.S. importers, exporters, and maritime industry stakeholders. The updated policy will impose fees based on a vessel's net tonnage or the number of containers it