Indonesia will not impose toll on passage of Malacca Strait: FM

InternationalMust ReadIndonesia will not impose toll on passage of Malacca Strait: FMBy Web Desk-Apr 23, 2026JAKARTA: Indonesia will not impose toll on the passage of Malacca Strait, said the country’s foreign minister, which was also opposed by Singapore saying it will not become part of a bid to impose transit fee on shipping in the strait. Earlier Indonesian Finance Minister Purbaya Sadewa had suggested possibility of imposing tariffs on ships passing through the strait. The Foreign Affairs Minister Sugiono has stated that Indonesia will not impose tariffs in the Malacca Strait, as such a policy would be inconsistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). He made the statement during a brief interview here on Thursday in response to journalists’ questioning whether Indonesia would introduce tariffs for vessels passing through the strait. Sugiono emphasized that UNCLOS recognized Indonesia as an archipelagic state on the condition that it does not impose tariffs on straits within its territory. He also stressed that Indonesia supports freedom of navigation and expects maritime traffic to remain smooth, open, and mutually beneficial. Strait of Malacca The Strait of Malacca is a narrow, strategic waterway between Sumatra in Indonesia and the Malay Peninsula, serving as one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. The Strait of Malacca stretches approximately 900 kilometres (560 miles) and varies in width from 65 to 250 km (40 to 155 miles), lying between Sumatra in Indonesia to the southwest, Peninsular Malaysia and Thailand to the northeast. It connects the Andaman Sea with the South China Sea, forming a critical maritime corridor for global trade. The strait narrows to just 2.7 km (1.7 miles) at its tightest point near Singapore, making it a major chokepoint for shipping.