🏛️ Government · U.S. Virgin Islands
Bryan asked U.S. trade office to exempt Virgin Islands routes from proposed fees on Chinese-built ships
Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. said in a letter released on March 26, 2025, that he had asked the Office of the United States Trade Representative to shield the U.S. Virgin Islands from the effects of a proposed federal fee on Chinese-built vessels calling at U.S. ports.
According to Government House, Bryan wrote to U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer that the measure could have a disproportionate effect on the territory, which imports more than 95% of its food, medicine, construction supplies and other essentials, largely from Florida on smaller shallow-draft vessels, many of them Chinese-built.
Government House said the proposal could impose service fees of up to $1.5 million on Chinese-built ships docking in U.S. ports. It said smaller vessels serving the Virgin Islands could face charges of as much as $3,750 per twenty-foot equivalent unit, compared with $65 per TEU for ultra-large container ships operated by Chinese carriers.
Bryan proposed exempting ships under 1,100 TEU and 21,000 deadweight tons operating short-haul routes between the mainland United States and the Virgin Islands. He also asked for an exemption for near-shore Caribbean voyages, including routes serving ports within the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act area.
In the letter, Bryan said the proposed exemptions were needed to avoid economic harm in the territory.