# Trump Proposes Transit Fees for Strait of Hormuz
Former President Donald Trump has proposed imposing a 20% fee on cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a major global shipping route between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The proposed "guardian" fee would apply to supertankers and other vessels crossing the strategic waterway, with individual ships potentially facing costs in the tens of millions of dollars.
Industry representatives have expressed strong opposition to the proposal, arguing there is no legal basis for such fees. Shipping insiders describe the idea as opening a "dangerous Pandora's Box," suggesting it could set a problematic precedent for international commerce and maritime law.
The Strait of Hormuz differs fundamentally from established toll waterways like the Suez Canal and Panama Canal, which are man-made infrastructure under sovereign control and legally authorized to levy transit tolls. Most natural international waterways—including the Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, Taiwan Strait, Strait of Gibraltar, and Cape of Good Hope—do not traditionally charge transit fees under international maritime conventions.
The proposal raises questions about the enforceability and legitimacy of such fees on an international waterway, with shipping industry observers maintaining that existing international law does not provide a basis for Trump to implement the proposed charges.
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