Shipping Faces ‘Sizeable Disruption’ as US, China Spar on Fees

Oil tankers and container ships will be among the hardest hit should China’s port fees targeting US vessels take effect on Tuesday, according to Jefferies LLC.

Nearly 16% of tankers that carry refined products and 13% of those that transport crude oil could be charged hefty fees under Beijing’s latest plan, the Wall Street bank wrote in a note. The levy was announced unexpectedly on Friday as retaliation against a US proposal to impose a similar port fee on Chinese vessels starting the same day.