US, China to roll out tit-for

The United States and China will begin charging port fees on ocean shipping firms that move everything from holiday toys to crude oil, making the high seas a key front in the trade war between the world's two largest economies.

China said it had started to collect the special charges on US-owned, operated, built, or flagged vessels but clarified that Chinese-built ships would be exempted from the levies.

In details published on Tuesday by state broadcaster CCTV, China spelled out specific provisions on exemptions, including for ships built by China and empty ships entering Chinese shipyards for repair.

The China-imposed port fees would be collected at the first port of entry on a single voyage or for the first five voyages within a year, following an annual billing cycle beginning on Ap