Trump withdraws planned 20% levy on Hormuz ships, calls for trade deals with Gulf countries instead
U.S. President Donald Trump has abandoned his plan to impose a 20% fee on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Instead, he is pursuing trade and investment deals with Gulf nations while maintaining a blockade specifically targeting Iranian cargo.
Why it matters
This represents a significant shift in U.S. maritime trade policy and geopolitical strategy in the Middle East.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (July 14, 2026) that trade and investment deals with the Gulf states will replace the 20% fee for ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz that he had proposed a day earlier.
He announced that the Strait of Hormuz is open to all ship traffic except for Iran. “We will therefore have a FULL Blockade, but only on Ships coming to and from Iranian ports, or carrying anything have to do with Iranian cargo,” he posted on Truth Social.
“Based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership, I have decided to replace the 20% United States Reimbursement Fee with Trade and Investment Deals that the various Gulf States will be making into the United States,” he said in a post on Truth Social.
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