Brazilian president slams Trump Hormuz shipping fee as 'piracy'

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Wednesday strongly criticized a proposal by US President Donald Trump to impose a 20% fee on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, calling the plan a violation of international maritime law that harkens back to historical acts of piracy.

Lula condemns fee as 'piracy'

Speaking to reporters in Brasília, Lula said charging ships to pass through one of the world's busiest international waterways would upend long-established principles governing global commerce. "Back in the day, that used to be called piracy," Lula said, according to Brazilian media. He did not elaborate on whether Brazil would pursue specific diplomatic action but emphasized that international waterways should remain open to global commerce under established international rules.

Trump announces 'guardian' role

The Brazilian leader's comments came hours after Trump announced that Washington would reinstate a blockade on Iran and assume responsibility for securing the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the United States would become the "guardian" of the waterway and charge commercial vessels a 20% fee for providing security. "As such, and as a matter of fairness, (the United States) will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the world," Trump wrote, adding that implementation of the policy would begin immediately.

Legal questions over strategic waterway

The proposal follows renewed military escalation between Washington and Tehran, with both sides exchanging strikes and making competing claims over responsibility for security in the strategically important passage. The Strait of Hormuz connects the Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and carries about one-fifth of global oil consumption, making it one of the world's most important maritime trade routes. International maritime law generally guarantees the right of transit passage through international straits, while legal experts have questioned whether any country can unilaterally impose charges on vessels exercising that right.