Hong Kong has officially declared that it will not impose special port fees targeting individual countries, a decision that firmly maintains its status as a separate customs territory and free port. This announcement comes amid escalating maritime and trade disputes where both mainland China and the United States have started levying special fees against each other’s ships.
Decision Against Country-Specific Fees
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government explicitly stated that it “does not impose, nor does it have any plans to impose, special port fees on vessels owned or operated by individual countries or regions, or on vessels flying specific flags.” This stance is a direct counterpoint to the protectionist measures recently enacted by major global trading partners.
The decision is rooted in Hong Kong’s governing framework. Operating under the “one country, two systems” principle since its return to Chinese rule in 1997, the territory maintains a customs regime separate from the mainland. The government emphasized that Hong Kong will continue to be a “sole separate customs territory” and will “maintain the status of a free port without the imposition of any tariff.”
Context of China-US Maritime Levies
Hong Kong’s announcement was made shortly after mainland China began charging special port fees on US ships, escalating a months-long trade dispute.
China’s Ministry of Transport mandated that, starting October 14, vessels must inform authorities of their ownership before arriving at a Chinese port. The new charge for US ships was set at 400 Chinese yuan (S$73) per net tonne upon entering Chinese ports, matching similar levies that the Trump administration had previously started imposing on Chinese ships. Hong Kong’s refusal to adopt a similar retaliatory fee mechanism highlights its continued effort to serve as an open, neutral international shipping hub.
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Source: Business Times
