Green shipping in an age of economic security: why port access now matters

Port access has become a pressure point of maritime economic security. Recent developments show how access to ports is increasingly being used to pursue wider economic and strategic objectives.

For example, the US section 301 investigation into China's maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors led to the introduction of port fees targeting China-linked and China-built ships, alongside other measures affecting maritime transport services. ¹ China responded with countermeasures, including special port fees on US-linked ships and provisions for access restrictions. ² Following the US-China trade deal reached in South Korea, both countries suspended the collection of their respective port fees for one year. The dispute nevertheless demonstrates how quickly port access can become a tool of reciprocal economic-security pressure.