It appears that French container line CMA CGM is undeterred by the Trump Administration's proposed port fees on vessels built by Chinese shipyards.
According to Hong Kong’s Shipping Gazette, China State Shipbuilding Corp announced on Monday that Jiangnan Shipyard had landed an order for 12 LNG dual-fuelled 18 000-TEU newbuilds.
While the purchaser's name was not disclosed, the Marseille-headquartered carrier has been widely tipped as a likely contender.
This is despite a proposal by the US Trade Representative to impose new fees on vessels operated by Chinese ship operators or built in China.
It’s seen as a means of countering China's dominance in the maritime sector and bolstering US shipping interests.
The new proposal includes a $1 million per US port call fee for Chinese vessel operators and a $1.5 million fee per US port call for Chinese-built vessels.
A service fee would be instituted on each US port call by vessel operators, regardless of their nationality or vessel flag, with vessels on order from Chinese shipyards.
The deal is worth between $2.5 billion and $2.6bn.
The ships are due for delivery in 2028 and 2029.
It is CMA CGM's second order for large containerships this year, following a $2.6bn contract for another 12 18 000-TEU LNG dual-fuel newbuilds at Korean shipyard HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.
- Also read this: "US shipbuilding relaunched – the pros and cons."
