By Lisa Baertlein and David Lawder

(Reuters) -The United States Trade Representative’s office said on Friday it would modify certain maritime-related fees for foreign-built vehicle carriers and liquefied natural gas vessels ahead of port fees on China-linked ships slated to go into effect next week.

USTR said in a statement that fees on operators of foreign-built vehicle carriers would be $46 per net ton, effective on October 14. That is below a fee of $150 per net ton originally proposed in April, seen by the industry as prohibitive, but well above an adjusted fee of $14 per net ton proposed on June 12.

USTR also is eliminating, retroactive to April 17, a provision permitting the suspension of liquefied natural gas (LNG) export licenses if certain restrictions on the use of foreign-bui

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