UN Urged to Roll Back Hormuz Strait Tariffs

ILLUSTRATION/DOK USN via Wikimedia Commons

JAKARTA - A leading shipping association has urged the United Nations (UN) to oppose the implementation of toll and service fees for ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz.

Eight maritime organizations signed a joint open letter addressed to the United Nations and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on Monday, August 3.

They warned that the implementation of toll fees could increase costs for consumers and damage the principle of freedom of navigation.

"Once such a precedent is set, it will be increasingly difficult to reject similar steps elsewhere, creating uncertainty for international shipping and global trade," the letter said, quoted by CNN, Thursday, August 6.

"These impacts go beyond just the cost of shipping; they also trigger higher energy prices, higher inflation, and increased economic uncertainty. In the end, these impacts will have real social consequences, and affect people's livelihoods around the world," he continued.

On Monday, August 2, state media reported that Iran plans to collect "fees" for a number of maritime services provided jointly with Oman in the Strait of Hormuz after the waterway was opened.

This step will mark a major change compared to the pre-war conditions, when no single country controlled the shipping traffic on the route.

Control or supervision over this strategic point (chokepoint) has become a crucial issue that cannot be negotiated (red line) for Tehran, equivalent to the right to carry out nuclear enrichment.

The prospect of such control is unacceptable to Washington, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has repeatedly stressed that any form of state control over international waters is contrary to international law.

Previously, Iran had agreed not to charge fees or tolls in the strait for 60 days based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU); however, the agreement was eventually canceled because both Tehran and Washington failed to commit to the details of the agreement, which included 14 points.