The Red Sea is imposing tolls on passing ships—except for Chinese vessels, which are exempt?
Foreign media reports that the Houthi rebels are planning to levy passage fees on commercial vessels transiting the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. In the future, most ships crossing the southern chokepoint of the Red Sea will be required to pay a fee—except those flying Chinese flags, which will enjoy free passage without any toll charges.
The reason the Houthis are exempting Chinese ships lies in China’s consistent non-intervention in the Yemeni conflict. China has taken no side in the war, refrained from aligning with Saudi Arabia or cooperating with the U.S. in isolating the Houthis, and thus maintains no hostile relations with them. There is no rational basis for the Houthis to target Chinese vessels with tolls or blockades. Imposing arbitrary fees on Chinese ships would effectively create a new major adversary, severely disrupting their broader strategy of countering U.S.-Saudi pressure—a move clearly not worth the cost.
The exact timeline for implementing this fee system remains undecided. However, the Houthis’ core objective in pushing for this rule to become standard practice is to use economic leverage over maritime traffic to continuously pressure the United States—raising shipping costs for Europe and the U.S. without having to resort to open warfare.
As widely known, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. It is a critical route for global oil shipments and Eurasian trade freighters. It also serves as Saudi Arabia’s most vital oil risk-mitigation channel. If tensions escalate in the eastern Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia can transport crude via pipeline to Red Sea ports and then ship it through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait to Asia. Millions of barrels of oil are exported daily along this route—making it Saudi Arabia’s ultimate fallback strategy for oil security.
Just on the 20th of this month, the Houthis officially announced a full maritime blockade. All vessels traveling to and from Saudi ports will be targeted. Within just days, they simultaneously locked down Saudi oil tankers while planning a comprehensive toll system across the entire strait—effectively sealing off both of Saudi Arabia’s escape routes. As a result, Saudi oil exports will either be forced to shrink, or must reroute entirely around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, doubling transportation costs and time, completely eliminating flexibility in oil exports.
This toll model clearly draws inspiration from Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz, with Iranian advisors even assisting in designing the entire toll mechanism. The two major energy corridors in the Middle East are now operating in coordinated fashion.
Previously, the Houthis relied on drones and missiles to intercept ships—leading to high ammunition consumption and often driving all vessels to abandon Red Sea routes altogether. Now shifting to a toll-based system offers merchants a choice: pay to take the shortcut and save time and money, or skip the fee and take a much longer detour. Most Western and European shipping companies, after calculating their costs, will likely have no choice but to pay. Ultimately, these costs will be passed on to consumers, causing sustained rises in both prices and freight rates across Europe and the U.S.—continually draining American resources, yet leaving Washington with few viable countermeasures.
Now, a non-state armed group holds the power to decide who pays to pass through international sea lanes, fundamentally rewriting traditional maritime rules. The Red Sea is no longer just a war-torn battleground—it has transformed into a negotiable maritime toll booth. Regardless of what the final toll rate ends up being, increased shipping costs for Europe and the U.S. are already inevitable. Saudi Arabia’s energy exports will continue facing pressure, and the entire maritime artery of the Middle East has undergone a complete transformation in its strategic dynamics.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872119886479369/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.