Bryan issued statement on USTR exemption of U.S. Virgin Islands from proposed port fees

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. issued a statement on April 18, 2025, saying the U.S. Virgin Islands had been exempted from proposed maritime fees on Chinese-built vessels by the Trump administration and the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

Government House said Bryan had raised the territory’s concerns in a March 26, 2025, letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. According to the statement, the letter said smaller, shallow-draft Chinese-built vessels are important to the Virgin Islands, where more than 95% of goods are imported, including food, medicine and construction supplies.

The statement said the USTR determination included exemptions for smaller and specialized vessels, including exemptions for short-haul routes, vessels under 4,000 TEU, and U.S.-owned or U.S.-flagged ships.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/bryan-thanks-trump-administration-ustr-for-exempting-usvi-from-proposed-port-fees/