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🚨COSCO’s $1.5B Shock: Can They Save the Transpacific Trade?

⁉️How the New U.S. Port Fees Could Reshape Global Container Shipping?

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Maritime Analytica
Oct 09, 2025
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🔥Greetings, Maritime Mavericks!

On October 14, 2025, the U.S. plans to impose hefty new port fees targeting China-built, owned, or operated vessels. COSCO — the world’s 4th-largest container carrier — faces a potential $1.5B annual hit.

But the stakes go beyond COSCO.

This decision could reshape transpacific trade, force carriers into new alliances, and spark a major capacity shuffle.

The questions everyone’s asking:

  • Can COSCO absorb a $1.5B financial blow?

  • Will U.S.–China trade tensions escalate further?

  • How will Ocean Alliance partners react?

  • Will non-Chinese carriers exploit this gap?

  • Could we see a complete rerouting of U.S. container flows?


COSCO SHIPPING Lines
www.lines.coscoshipping.com


🔹 10 Must-Know Insights About COSCO’s $1.5B Challenge

1️⃣ $1.5B at Stake — COSCO’s Profitability Squeezed

  • New U.S. port fees = $600 per FEU for Chinese carriers.

  • COSCO’s EBIT margin could drop 7.1% next year.

  • Estimated cost = 5.3% of total revenue in 2026.


2️⃣ A Direct Hit on Transpacific Trade

  • Chinese carriers control 79% of U.S. trade lanes.

  • Targeted fees mainly impact China-built vessels.

  • COSCO risks losing pricing power on key U.S. routes.


3️⃣ Non-Chinese Carriers Gain a Big Advantage

  • 71% of global container capacity = non-China-built ships.

  • Non-Chinese carriers can redeploy neutral tonnage to avoid fees.

  • COSCO’s competitive position weakens against Maersk, MSC, Hapag.


4️⃣ Ocean Alliance Becomes COSCO’s Lifeline

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