Trump's Maritime Plan: $1.5 Trillion Fee on ALL Foreign Ships

Описание: Here's a YouTube description for the Maritime Action Plan video:

The Trump administration released its Maritime Action Plan on February 13th, 2026, proposing universal fees on every foreign-built vessel entering U.S. ports. The fee structure ranges from $0.01 to $0.25 per kilogram of cargo, potentially generating between $66 billion and $1.5 trillion over ten years.

This isn't targeting just China—every foreign-built ship from South Korea, Japan, Germany, Greece, and beyond would pay. A single container ship carrying 5,000 TEU could face fees of $375,000 per U.S. call at the low end, or $9.4 million at the high end. Aframax tankers would pay between $700,000 and $17.5 million per call. Car carriers between $118,980 and $3 million per call.

The stated goal is rebuilding U.S. shipbuilding and the merchant marine. The United States has only 66 total shipyards, with just eight active shipbuilding yards. Less than 1% of new commercial ships globally are built in America, while China builds over 50% of the world's commercial tonnage.
In this video, we break down the 34-page plan released by the White House. We examine the math for container ships, tankers, and car carriers. We analyze industry reactions from the International Chamber of Shipping, maritime unions like MEBA, and shipping analysts. And we explore the legislative path—whether this proposal will actually become law through Congress or the U.S. Trade Representative.

Key Topics Covered:

Universal port fee structure: $0.01 to $0.25 per kilogram
Container shipping costs: $75 to $1,875 per TEU
Tanker shipping costs: Up to $17.5 million per call
Car carrier impacts: $19.83 per vehicle at low end
Revenue projections: $66 billion to $1.5 trillion over 10 years
Land Port Maintenance Tax proposal for Mexico/Canada cargo
Industry reaction and retaliation risks
Legislative feasibility and lobbyist opposition
Impact on U.S. consumers through higher prices

Revenue from the fees would go to a newly created Maritime Security Trust Fund financing shipbuilding capacity, fleet expansion, and workforce development. The plan also proposes Maritime Prosperity Zones, a U.S. Strategic Commercial Fleet, expanded cargo preference requirements, and international partnerships with South Korea and Japan through a "Bridge strategy."

But the costs would pass through the supply chain. Container importers face higher freight costs. Oil importers face higher fuel costs. Auto importers face higher vehicle logistics costs. All of these flow downstream to American consumers as higher prices on goods, gasoline, and vehicles.
The plan has received endorsements from U.S. maritime unions but sharp criticism from international shipping organizations. The International Chamber of Shipping warns the fees could distort trade, disrupt commerce, and encourage retaliation. Shipping analysts note the cost and expertise gaps between U.S. and Asian shipbuilding are too large to close even with massive subsidies.

With last year's USTR fees on Chinese vessels drawing immediate retaliation from Beijing, a universal fee covering all nations raises questions about whether South Korea, Japan, and European allies would respond similarly. The proposal also creates incentives for shippers to reroute cargo through Mexican and Canadian ports, then truck goods into the U.S.—though the Land Port Maintenance Tax attempts to address this.
The Maritime Action Plan is public. Congress must act. Lobbyists from energy, retail, and auto sectors are mobilizing. And the next six months will determine whether this becomes law or joins the list of failed proposals to reverse decades of U.S. maritime decline.