Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono confirmed on Thursday (23/4/2026) that Indonesia will not impose tariffs on vessels transiting the Malacca Strait. 

Speaking in Jakarta, he said that such a move would violate the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which Indonesia has ratified.

"Indonesia is not in a position to do that. We hope for free passage, and I believe it is a commitment among many nations to create a shipping route that is free, neutral, and mutually supportive," Minister Sugiono said, as cited by antaranews.com. He clarified that Indonesia’s status as an archipelagic state is contingent upon maintaining tariff-free transit through its strategic straits.

The statement addressed recent discourse initiated by Minister of Finance Purbaya Sadewa regarding potential levies. Singapore has also insisted to keep the vital trade route open. Under UNCLOS, the Malacca Strait remains a critical international waterway where the right of transit passage is legally guaranteed for all nations.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)