Iran has suspended a 10 per cent charge on freight fees for foreign vessels carrying imported or exported oil, gas and liquid petroleum products to and from the country, the semi‑official Fars news agency reported on Thursday, 10 September 2026.
The announcement, summarised in a report carried by MarineLink Maritime News on the same date, said the levy has been waived for foreign ships handling crude, refined products, liquefied natural gas and other liquid hydrocarbons on voyages to and from Iranian terminals.
The move removes an added cost layer that had been applied to foreign-flagged tonnage engaged in energy trade with Iran, according to the Fars account. MarineLink published the item under the headline "Iran Waives 10% Levy to Ease Foreign Energy Shipping."
Details of the suspension
Fars described the measure as a suspension of the 10 per cent freight fee charge on eligible voyages; the MarineLink summary reported the item on 10 September 2026. The published notice identified the levy as applying to foreign vessels involved in the carriage of oil, gas and liquid petroleum products for import and export.
The reporting did not include further operational detail such as the duration of the suspension, conditions for eligibility or which authorities issued the directive, and MarineLink's summary reflects the extent of the publicly available information in the Fars dispatch.
Potential consequences for foreign shipping
Removing the 10 per cent charge alters the immediate cost calculus for foreign owners and charterers trading with Iran, at least for the voyages covered by the suspension. Ship operators engaged in the carriage of the specified energy cargos would likely see a reduction in voyage expenses while the measure remains in force.
Charterers and brokers will need to interpret the suspension in charterparty pricing and voyage estimations, and owners may review routing and commercial arrangements that had been affected by the additional levy. The available reports do not set out any accompanying procedural changes to port or customs handling.
Market and administrative details beyond the initial report remain unreported in the material summarised by MarineLink and Fars. Stakeholders seeking clarity on application, retroactivity or the end date of the suspension will have to await further official guidance from the relevant Iranian authorities or subsequent reporting.
For now, the published accounts on 10 September 2026 stand as the primary public notice that the 10 per cent freight charge has been suspended for foreign vessels carrying oil, gas and liquid petroleum products to and from Iran. The change was presented to international audiences via the semi‑official Fars news agency and picked up in maritime trade reporting by MarineLink on the same day.
The development will be watched by shipowners, charterers and energy traders for any follow-up announcements that clarify implementation, scope and whether the suspension will be extended, made permanent or reversed in due course.