A coalition of 209 trade associations sent a letter to USTR this week urging an extension of the suspension on Section 301 fees for China-built and China-linked vessels, currently set to expire November 9, 2026. The group is asking the administration to extend the suspension again during the upcoming Trump-Xi summit, warning that resuming the fees would add costs across shipping networks and ripple through to importers, exporters, and consumers, while noting a year of suspension has shown fees alone won’t rebuild U.S. shipbuilding.

The letter was also shared with Commerce, Treasury, DOT, and key Senate Finance and House Ways & Means staff. Full letter can be found here. We’ll share any response as it comes in.