US will hurt itself by charging port fees, China says

Measures such as charging port fees and imposing tariffs on cargo handling equipment will hurt the United States itself as well as others, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Friday.

Lin made the remarks at a regular news conference after the US unveiled new port fees on Chinese built and operated ships.

"These measures will not only increase the global maritime shipping cost, disrupt the stability of the global supply chain, but also increase the inflationary risks in the US and hurt the interests of US consumers and companies," Lin said.

"In the end, they will fail to revitalize the US shipbuilding sector," he also said.

"We urge the US to respect facts and multilateral rules, and stop such wrongdoings immediately," Lin said. "China will take necessary measures to protect its own legitimate interests."