China and the US on 30 October agreed to a one-year pause on their tit-for-tat exchange of maritime port fees. Back in April the US announced its plan to levy a fee for Chinese-linked ships calling at US ports to “reverse Chinese dominance” in the maritime sector. On 10 October, China retaliated with its own levy on US-linked ships calling at Chinese ports that BRS Shipbrokers estimates would have impacted 4-9% of medium to large tankers in the active fleet. The pause will no doubt help cool rates in the shipping market that had ticked up in recent weeks, but whether trade talks will lead to a long-term resolution remains to be seen.