Trump is eyeing “toll fees” in the Strait of Hormuz! A fully loaded supertanker had to pay 30 million US dollars and was criticized by the shipping industry as “like a highway robbery”

The Zhitong Finance App learned that on July 13, local time, US President Trump posted on social media platforms that the Strait of Hormuz is currently open and will remain open regardless of Iran's participation or not. The United States will re-implement the “blockade against Iran”. This measure only targets Iranian ships or customers and restricts their entry and exit from the strait. All other countries can use the strait fairly and openly. He also said that the US will charge 20% for all goods transported through here, and related processes and deployment work will begin immediately.

Affected by this news, international oil prices soared. As of press release, Brent crude oil futures surged nearly 10% to $83.32 per barrel; WTI crude oil futures rose 0.90% to $78.84 per barrel.

Based on the oil price of 80 US dollars per barrel, the equivalent of a supertanker full of crude oil would have to pay about 30 million US dollars. Supertankers can usually load around 2 million barrels of crude oil. In contrast, according to people familiar with the matter, Iran previously usually charged a temporary fee per voyage, with a maximum charge of about 2 million US dollars per voyage.

The White House did not further explain the details of Trump's fee proposal, including how this charging mechanism will be implemented, nor whether it has already communicated with America's allies in the Gulf region about this.

The shipping industry's reaction was both surprising and somewhat skeptical. Nearly ten people involved in the shipping market — including some industry insiders whose tankers have passed through the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks — said they had never received any warning before about Trump's plan to levy charges on transit goods.

Due to the lack of specific implementation details at present, they believe it is still too early to judge how this plan will affect future shipping decisions. A captain who asked for anonymity said the charge was “just like a highway robbery.”

As the fragile cease-fire agreement broke down, the battle between the US and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz was viewed as critical for both countries. Normally, about one-fifth of the world's oil and gas shipments go through this strait.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Alagzi then responded in a social media post saying, “Absolutely true. Any party providing security for the safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz should be compensated for this service.” However, at the same time, he said, “Of course, the 20% fee is too high,” adding, “We will keep it fair.”