2027 auto freight contracts need clear USTR fee clauses
Before accepting a 2027 auto freight quote, specify the nominated vessels, assumed chargeable strings, surcharge allocation and price adjustments if USTR extends the pause or changes the rules.
USTR's maritime Section 301 fees remain suspended through November 9, 2026. Auto freight contracts extending into 2027 should specify how any resumption would affect the quoted price. Yesterday's analyses also examine the limits of EU AI copyright disclosures and the gap between a smart-TV importer's potential obligations and its control over software.
If Annex III fees resume unchanged, a covered foreign-built vehicle carrier would incur $46 per net ton at its first U.S. entry from abroad on a string of port calls, with collection capped at five times per vessel per calendar year. Multiple U.S. stops on that string do not each trigger another fee, and January 1 starts a new annual count. The government charge does not set a price per imported car. Any customer surcharge depends on the contract's allocation method, so buyers should distinguish actual-cost reimbursement from fixed or fleet-wide charges.
Read the full analysis: USTR RoRo Port Fees Make 2027 Auto Freight Quotes Harder to Compare.