Global shipping executives are sounding the alarm over President Donald Trump’s proposal to impose a 20% levy on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, warning that the measure could backfire by further suppressing traffic through the world’s most critical energy chokepoint.
Hapag-Lloyd, one of the world’s largest container carriers, described the concept as "fundamentally wrong," arguing that charging tolls for passage through international waters violates established maritime norms regardless of which nation asserts control.
The carrier’s stance reflects broader industry anxiety that such a fiscal barrier would not only increase operational costs but also incentivize shippers to seek longer, more expensive alternative routes.
The warning comes as global markets already grapple with elevated energy costs and logistical friction.
Analysts note that the Strait of Hormuz handles roughly a fifth of the world’s oil consumption; any policy that discourages transit could trigger immediate volatility in Brent crude prices and freight rates.
Rather than generating revenue, the levy risks choking off the very flow of goods it aims to tax, particularly as Asian importers have already begun pivoting to alternative supply chains in response to earlier geopolitical tensions.