International Maritime Organization: No tolls on the Strait of Hormuz

DPA
Mon, July 13, 2026 


FILE PHOTO - A container ship of the shipping company Hapag-Llyod sails off the coast. (is associated with: «International Maritime Organization: No tolls on the Strait of Hormuz») Sebastian Gollnow/dpa

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) on Monday insisted there be toll-free passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz, following US President Donald Trump's post earlier in the day saying the US would charge a 20% fee for what he called safety and security protection.

Under international law, passage must remain free of customs duties and fees, the UN specialized agency headquartered in London said. The IMO stressed that any agreement between the coastal states in the region must ensure the non-discriminatory and unimpeded right of passage for all ships.

Trump announced the resumption of a naval blockade for ships trading with Iran. The US Central Command (CENTCOM), the responsible US regional military authority, later confirmed it planned to resume the blockade from Tuesday afternoon beginning at 2000 GMT.

Trump wrote that the US would charge the 20% rate on cargo ships "as a matter of FAIRNESS," saying the fee was needed to cover "any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World."