LPG in World Markets: USTR Targets Chinese Maritime Dominance

This current feature was extracted from the latest edition of Poten’s LPG in World Markets, a monthly service published on March 2025.

In a report, the USTR concluded that China has been targeting the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors for unreasonable dominance. The USTR proposed several punitive fees for Chinese vessel operators or any Chinese vessels calling at a US port. The report and the proposed actions have taken the maritime world by storm. The container segment, of all shipping segments, will be the worst affected. China also has a strong presence when it comes to VLGC shipbuilding – a total of 13% (~51 vessels) in the existing VLGC fleet were built at Chinese shipyards and Chinese shipyards will deliver around 23.6% of the current orderbook during 2026-2029. The VLEC sector will have a larger impact if USTR recommendations are implemented.

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