By Lisa Baertlein

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Five U.S. unions are calling on lawmakers to pass legislation that would help secure long-term funding to revive domestic shipbuilding, an effort championed by President Donald Trump and boosted by new port fees on Chinese ships.

The United States on October 14 is slated to begin collecting fees on China-linked vessels that visit the nation’s seaports. While final rules from the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) are pending, HSBC analysts recently said China’s COSCO Shipping is most exposed with potential port fees of $1.5 billion owed next year.

The bipartisan Shipbuilding and Harbor Infrastructure for Prosperity and Security (SHIPS) for America Act introduced in April would establish the Maritime Security Trust to reinvest the port fee proceeds

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