Trump’s Plan to Charge a Toll in the Strait of Hormuz: What to Know -…

Trump Announces 20 Percent Fee on Cargo Through Strait of Hormuz

President Trump stated on July 13, 2026, that the United States would impose a 20 percent fee on cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The announcement came during ongoing exchanges of attacks between the United States and Iran over the waterway, which carries a significant share of global oil shipments.

The president described the fee as compensation for U.S. military protection of vessels in the area. In a social media post, he wrote that the strait “is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran,” and that the fee would cover “any and all costs necessary.” He characterized the measure as “a matter of FAIRNESS” and said the United States would also resume a blockade of Iranian ports.

This marks the second time Mr. Trump has raised the possibility of such a toll. He first mentioned it last month after a temporary cease-fire agreement with Iran. That agreement contained language that Iranian officials have interpreted as granting Tehran authority over the strait and included a 60-day period during which no country would collect tolls.

Details on implementation remain unspecified. The announcement did not address how the 20 percent fee would be calculated, which vessels would be subject to it, or the mechanism for collection. No further statements from the president or his aides have clarified these points.

For a tanker carrying two million barrels of oil, the proposed fee could add more than $30 million in costs, according to shipping industry estimates. Higher transportation expenses would likely increase prices for refined products downstream. Some analysts have questioned whether the fee would be applied in practice, citing both the administrative challenges and the greater immediate risks posed by continued military activity in the region.

The Strait of Malacca provides one existing example of fees in a major oil transit route. Approximately 23 million barrels of oil pass through that waterway daily under the joint administration of Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Vessels there pay for specific services such as towing or pilotage in narrow sections but do not pay a general transit toll. The security arrangements among those three countries have remained stable without interstate conflict for roughly six decades.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded to the announcement by noting the reversal in position from earlier U.S. statements on tolls. He agreed that the party providing safe passage should receive compensation and reiterated Iran’s claim to that role. He added that 20 percent “is of course too much” and that Iran “will be fair.” Iranian officials have stated since the start of the current conflict their intention to generate revenue from the strait. Iran and Oman have discussed arrangements modeled partly on the Malacca system, though it remains unclear whether any charges would be voluntary or mandatory.

The exchanges of fire over the past week followed U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in February. Iran has targeted commercial vessels in an effort to direct traffic closer to its coastline, a step that could precede its own fee collection. The month-old cease-fire ended with these renewed incidents.

Yan Zhuang is a Times reporter in Seoul who covers breaking news.