Some Hong Kong-based shipowners are looking to navigate US tariffs and Washington’s escalating trade war with China by changing their vessels’ registration flags to jurisdictions with fewer geopolitical risks such as Panama and Liberia, the Post has learned.
According to industry sources, some shipowners are preparing exit plans to mitigate rising political risks even though a recent executive order by US President Donald Trump did not include an earlier threat to impose a US$1.5 million fee per port call in the United States on Chinese-linked ships. The fees were also supposed to apply to Hong Kong.
