In Depth: U.S. Port Fee Hike Loosens China’s Stranglehold on Shipbuilding

In the predawn darkness of Oct. 14, a Chinese-flagged container ship eased toward its berth at the Port of Savannah, in the U.S. state of Georgia. The Cosco Shipping Jasmine, carrying more than 13,500 standard containers from China, had idled off the coast for two days without explanation. When it finally docked, it became one of the first vessels hit with a new and sharply punitive U.S. port fee — $4.25 million.