One-Year Suspension of Section 301 Port Fees Eases Shipping Cost Pressures

As part of the recent Deal on Economic and Trade Relations with China, the U.S. suspended its Section 301 port fees for one-year, effective November 10, 2025. This policy brief examines the potential impacts of the Section 301 port fees on U.S. agricultural exports, finding that the fees would have increased export costs by about $2.3 billion, or 5–7 cents per bushel for bulk commodities. While the suspension eases short-term cost pressures, uncertainty in U.S.–China trade relations and shipping markets remains.