Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Tuesday, 14 July declared that Italy firmly opposes any charges on vessels transiting natural straits worldwide, pushing back directly against US President Donald Trump's announcement of a 20 per cent levy on all cargo ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking at the foreign ministry in Rome, Tajani framed the issue as a matter of foundational maritime law.

What Tajani Said

'We are in favour of freedom of navigation; we oppose any kind of toll in straits where there are no man-made structures,' Tajani told reporters. He drew a clear distinction between artificial waterways and natural straits, arguing that tolls on the latter set a 'dangerous precedent' that could trigger similar charges 'all over the world.'

Tajani cited the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal as legitimate examples where tolls are justified — both are man-made constructions requiring maintenance investment. The Strait of Hormuz, by contrast, is a natural chokepoint, and imposing fees there, he argued, crosses a fundamentally different line.

Why Italy Has Skin in the Game

Italy's objection is not merely philosophical. With exports accounting for roughly 40 per cent of GDP, Italy is one of Europe's most trade-dependent economies. Any levy on Hormuz transit would directly raise costs for Italian exporters shipping goods to Asian markets, making the policy 'certainly absolutely unacceptable,' in Tajani's words.

This comes amid a broader European discomfort with Washington's increasingly transactional approach to global security arrangements — an approach that allies fear could fragment the rules-based international order that underpins global commerce.

Trump's Position: Gulf Nations Must Pay

Trump announced on Monday that the United States was reinstating a naval blockade on Iran and would be 'reimbursed at the rate of 20 per cent on all cargo shipped' for costs incurred in guaranteeing safe passage through Hormuz. On Tuesday, he extended the argument, telling reporters at the White House that wealthy Gulf nations — naming Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait — should help finance US military operations in the region.

'I want to be reimbursed because we're protecting a very rich portion of the world,' Trump said. He argued that Washington bears the cost of defending regional partners despite the US no longer being dependent on Middle Eastern oil.

Shipping Industry Alarm

The Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), the world's largest shipping association, has warned that any US-imposed tariffs could further reduce traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — a critical oil conduit that, according to BIMCO, has already seen traffic grind to a halt again in recent days. The warning underscores how quickly the levy proposal is translating into real-world disruption well before any formal implementation.

Broader Implications

The Hormuz levy debate is the latest flashpoint in a wider contest over who pays for global security and who controls access to strategic waterways. If the US precedent holds, analysts warn that other powers could invoke similar logic to impose transit fees on their own adjacent straits — a scenario that would fundamentally alter the economics of international shipping. Italy's vocal opposition signals that Washington should expect resistance not just from adversaries but from close European allies as well. How the European Union collectively responds in the coming days will be closely watched.