Trump Says No One Should Charge Fees for the Strait
U.S. President Trump stated that he believes no one should charge fees for the strait. This statement addresses the issue of tolls for key waterways and emphasizes the principle of free navigation. Expectations of lower transportation costs for crude oil due to market mechanisms have boosted supply expectations, putting downward pressure on oil futures prices, benefiting energy-importing countries while putting pressure on parties along the strait. Source: Public Information
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Trump has previously advocated for the liberalization of waterways in his Middle East policy, similar to his strong stance on freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz during his first term, where he ensured energy corridors through a combination of military and diplomatic efforts. On a capital path, global energy traders and shipping companies are leaning towards routes without additional fees, strategically reducing import costs for the U.S. and its allies while compressing the space for adversaries to profit from the strait. Historically, major powers have intervened to ensure passage after strait crises; the current Trump administration is in a phase of restructuring the energy supply chain, strengthening its discourse control over key nodes. Essentially, this represents a transfer of pricing power, as the U.S. challenges the existing fee mechanism for the strait through presidential statements, with the mechanism relying on international public opinion and potential action deterrence to push the rules of passage towards liberalization, thereby reshaping the global energy trade cost structure. ABAB News · Cognitive Law 1. The right to charge for key passages is an invisible tax right. 2. The discourse of major powers directly determines the cost of trade friction. 3. Free passage is a more efficient resource control than military occupation.