The US has revealed plans to impose port fees on Chinese ships to try to revive shipbuilding in America and challenge China's dominance of the industry.
From mid-October, Chinese ship-owners and operators will be charged $50 per ton of cargo with the fees increasing each year for the next three years.
There have been concerns that the measures would further disrupt global trade after US President Donald Trump's raft of tariff policies, but the fee is less severe than originally suggested.
A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry said the fees will raise prices for American consumers and "will not revitalise the US shipbuilding industry".
The US Trade Representative (USTR) said: "China has largely achieved its dominance goals, severely disadvantaging US companies, workers, and the US economy".
Fees on Chinese vessel owners and operators of ships built in China will be based on the weight of their cargo, how many containers they carry or the number of vehicles onboard.
For affected bulk vessels, the fee will be based on the weight of their cargo, while the charge for container ships will depend on how many containers a vessel is carrying.
The $50 per ton of cargo will rise by $30 a ton each year for the next three years. Fees on Chinese-built ships will start at $18 a ton or $120 per container and also rise over the next three years.
Non-US built ships carrying cars will be charged $150 per vehicle.
The fee will be applied once per voyage on affected ships and not more than five times a year.
The USTR also decided not to impose fees based on how many Chinese-built ships are in a fleet or based on prospective orders of Chinese ships, as it had originally proposed.
Empty vessels that arrive at US ports to carry bulk exports like coal or grain are exempted.
Vessels that move goods between American ports as well as from those ports to Caribbean islands and US territories are also exempted from rules, as are US and Canadian ships that call at ports in the Great Lakes.
The fees are much lower than a plan floated in February to charge up to $1.5m (£1.1m) for each American port a Chinese ship visits.
