Tropical Shipping is sounding the alarm over a proposed U.S. tariff that could severely disrupt trade across the Caribbean. In a strongly worded response to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), the company condemned the move as a “crippling blow” to American exporters and regional commerce.
The proposed measure—set to take effect next month—would impose a $1 million fee per port call on any Chinese-built vessel docking at U.S. ports. Given that most of the vessels serving the Caribbean were built in China, the impact on shipping costs would be immediate and severe.
Tropical Shipping, a leading ocean freight carrier to the Caribbean, warned customers that the tariff would drive up freight rates by thousands of dollars per container (TEU), disrupt supply chains, and threaten the long-standing trade partnership between the United States and its Caribbean neighbors.
In a letter to the USTR, Tropical’s President and CEO outlined the far-reaching consequences:
U.S. shipping companies and exporters would bear the brunt of the cost surge, losing competitive ground.
Logistics and port operations jobs across Florida and other eastern seaboard hubs would be at risk.
Caribbean nations may be forced to pivot to alternative markets, rerouting billions in trade away from the U.S.
“This tariff does not target China—it punishes American businesses and Caribbean economies,” the company said in its statement.
The proposed action is part of the wider U.S.-China trade war, which has seen escalating tariffs and trade barriers. However, Tropical Shipping warns that this latest move places the shipping industry squarely in the crosshairs, threatening the stability of a region already facing economic pressures.
Tropical is calling for a coordinated industry response and urging policymakers to reconsider the policy before it takes effect. With time running out, the company and its partners are bracing for what could be a major shake-up in Caribbean trade.
