Strait of Hormuz maritime transit and tolling dispute
The developments in this story so far, most recent first.
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· date approximate Development
Shipping groups urge UN to oppose Strait of Hormuz tolls
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· date approximate Background
The IMO Council stated that passage through the Strait of Hormuz should remain free of tolls and charges under international law.
In July 2026, the IMO Council stated that passage through the Strait of Hormuz should remain free of tolls and charges under international law. The Council emphasized that any arrangement made between regional coastal states must guarantee the non-discriminatory and unimpeded transit of all ships through the internationally recognized traffic separation scheme.
This position follows warnings from eight major international shipping associations, who sent a joint open letter to UN chief Antonio Guterres and IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez. The associations argued that introducing compulsory charges or service fees would represent a significant departure from established international practice and could create a precedent for similar measures in other international waterways, potentially weakening the legal framework governing transit passage.
The shipping groups further warned that such charges could undermine freedom of navigation and damage the global economy by contributing to higher shipping and energy prices, inflation, and economic uncertainty. They stressed that seafarer safety and freedom of navigation should not be compromised during negotiations regarding regional security and conflict resolution.