Customs Halts the 10 Percent Freight Levy on Oil and Gas Liquid Cargoes Carried by Foreign Fleets

The export office of Iran's Customs Administration told all customs houses in a circular that collection of the 10 percent levy on the freight cost of imported and exported oil and gas liquid cargoes carried by non-Iranian fleets is suspended until the cabinet approves and issues the list of covered items. The decision was reported on Sunday, 5 Mehr 1405 (27 September 2026), citing the Iran Chamber of Commerce.

The levy was paid into the Marine Industries Development Fund under the 2008 (1387) Law on the Development and Support of Marine Industries, but the lack of a clear list of covered goods had left its enforcement uncertain. A cabinet resolution of 26 Mehr 1404 (18 October 2025) placed the definition of covered items within the cabinet's authority, and the Business Support Committee, at its meeting on 27 Mordad 1405 (18 August 2026), pressed for a halt to protect exports; the Presidential Deputy for Legal Affairs then ordered Customs to stop collecting it. The move lowers freight costs for exporters of petroleum and gas products.