Democrats Press Trump to Hike Port Fees on Chinese Ships

National security depends on President Donald Trump imposing port fees on Chinese vessels to help support the domestic shipbuilding industry, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) said in a June 7 letter to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

Trump in October paused such fees following retaliatory actions by Beijing and lobbying by import-dependent retailers. Warren and Kelly want Trump to reverse course as they continue efforts to pass the bipartisan SHIPS for America (S. 1541) that Kelly sponsored to subsidize the domestic maritime industry with port fees.

“Experts warn that ...