Royal Caribbean Cruises .(US:RCL) Sou Hu Cai Jing·2025-10-19 06:57Core Viewpoint - The ongoing U.S.-China trade tensions have led to the introduction of a special port fee for U.S. vessels docking in China, reflecting China's strategic response to U.S. sanctions and trade policies [1][3]. Group 1: Special Port Fee Implementation - Starting from October 14, 2025, all vessels related to the U.S. must pay a special port fee, which is a direct response to the U.S. 301 investigation and aims to protect China's trade interests [3]. - The fee will be charged based on the vessel's net tonnage, starting at 400 RMB per net ton from October 14, 2025, and increasing to 1,120 RMB per net ton by April 17, 2028 [5]. - U.S. cargo ships have already begun docking in Chinese ports and paying the special port fee, as evidenced by the "Manukau" container ship from Matson Navigation Company, which incurred a fee of 4.46 million RMB [5]. Group 2: Impact on Cruise Industry - The three major luxury cruise companies—Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Group, and Carnival Corporation—hold over 75% of the global market share and face significant challenges due to the high special port fees when docking in China [7]. - Two main strategies have emerged for U.S. cruise lines: canceling planned stops in China to avoid fees, as seen with the "RIVIERA" cruise ship, which would have incurred a fee of 11.67 million RMB [9], and applying for fee exemptions [9]. - The "Spectrum of the Seas" cruise ship from Royal Caribbean successfully obtained an exemption, allowing it to dock in China without incurring the fee, which would exceed 67 million RMB per stop by 2028 [12]. Group 3: Conditions for Exemption - To qualify for the exemption, U.S. cruise ships must primarily serve Chinese tourists and operate from Chinese ports, demonstrating China's flexible and consumer-oriented approach in enforcing the special port fee [13]. - The operation of the "Spectrum of the Seas" not only provides quality travel experiences for Chinese tourists but also stimulates domestic consumption, highlighting its importance in the Chinese market [15]. - For U.S. vessels that do not meet the exemption criteria, China will strictly enforce the special port fee policy, emphasizing that the fee is a countermeasure against U.S. maritime pressure rather than a financial necessity [15].