The United States has abandoned a proposal to impose a 20% fee on cargo passing through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Ship & Bunker. The plan, floated just a day earlier, was withdrawn on Tuesday after drawing sharp criticism from across the shipping industry.
According to Ship & Bunker, President Donald Trump said the fee would instead be replaced by commitments from Gulf states to make significant investments in the United States. The reversal came swiftly after the initial announcement, with industry figures voicing concern over the proposal almost immediately.
Industry Pushback
Among the most vocal critics was Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of container shipping firm Hapag-Lloyd, as reported by Ship & Bunker. Jansen argued that charging vessels for passage through international waters was not justified.
“It would be fundamentally wrong to charge tolls for passage through international waters,” Jansen said on Tuesday, just before the proposal was withdrawn, according to Ship & Bunker.
Jansen also drew a distinction between the Strait of Hormuz and major shipping canals that do charge transit fees. He noted that tolls for infrastructure such as the Suez Canal or Panama Canal reflect major infrastructure investments, whereas the Strait of Hormuz involved no comparable man-made construction, Ship & Bunker reported.
Does This Matter to You?
A transit fee on one of the world’s most critical chokepoints for oil and gas shipments could have altered voyage costs and routing decisions for vessel operators, charterers, and traders moving cargo through the Gulf region. The proposal’s withdrawal removes that immediate cost uncertainty, at least for now.
Given the Strait of Hormuz’s role as a key corridor for energy shipments and bunker fuel logistics in the region, any future revival of similar fee proposals could again prompt industry response and require close monitoring by those planning transits through the area. The source material does not indicate whether the matter could resurface in a different form, so further developments should be tracked as they emerge.
Gulf Bunkering does not provide operational or security guidance. This article is for informational purposes only. Operators should consult flag state authorities, P&I clubs, and relevant advisories for decisions relating to transit planning.
Sources: Ship & Bunker
