A new proposal would impose steep levies on Chinese-made ships arriving at U.S. ports, threatening to increase costs for imports.

A new proposal to increase port fees for shipping companies with Chinese fleets could significantly raise costs on all kinds of imported goods from around the world. Donald Trump could be about to escalate the trade war with China.

Shipbuilding and maritime trade are emerging as new fronts in the US-China trade war, and unlike President Donald Trump’s call for blanket tariffs, his shipping crackdown seems to have support across the political spectrum in Washington.