Beijing: The US and China started charging new port fees on each other’s ships on Tuesday, as trade tensions between the world’s two biggest economies increase.

According to National News Agency – Lebanon, China says its levies aim to safeguard the country’s shipping industry from “discriminatory” measures and apply to US-owned, operated, built, or flagged vessels but not Chinese-built ships.

It comes in retaliation to US fees on Chinese ships, which Washington says are designed to support American shipping companies.