Trump Maritime Action Plan Floats Land Port Maintenance Tax (1)

President Donald Trump is considering imposing a new tax on goods entering the country by land as part of broader efforts to expand domestic shipbuilding.

“The absence of a fee comparable to the Harbor Maintenance Tax at land ports incentivizes shippers to route cargo through land borders, undermining the competitiveness of U.S. maritime ports and creating disparities in infrastructure funding,” reads a Maritime Action Plan released Friday. A 2025 executive order called for the report to be issued by November.

The potential 0.125% tax would help fund subsidies to make the US into a significant player in global shipbuilding. But ...