Recent data, today, Wednesday, showed a clear slowdown in navigation traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, as most shipowners continue to avoid this vital sea lane due to security concerns and the lack of clear indications that transit traffic will return to normal levels.
According to Kpler data, 6 ships loaded with primary goods crossed the strait on Tuesday, compared to 9 ships on Monday, while the average crossing over the past 10 days is about 11 ships per day.
The data showed that the movement of ships heading into the strait included an empty giant crude oil tanker that sailed alongside the Omani side, in addition to two oil tankers, one of medium capacity and the other of smaller size.
In the opposite direction, two medium-capacity fuel tankers left the strait, along with a large post-Panamax ship.
These numbers come at a time when American and Iranian positions are conflicting regarding the actual status of navigation in Hormuz. On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump confirmed that Washington is not holding any talks with Iran, stressing that the Strait of Hormuz is “open,” in a position that contradicts previous Iranian statements that confirmed its continued closure to maritime traffic.
The Strait is of exceptional importance to global energy markets, as about a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passed through it before the war, making any decline in ship movement through it a factor affecting supplies, energy prices, and international trade movement.
In this context, Vortexa, a company specialized in tracking tankers, along with a broker in the shipping sector, reported that two giant Chinese companies, which were responsible for transporting about half of China’s imports of Middle East oil before the war, decided to keep their tankers away from the Straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab since late July, due to escalating security concerns.
These developments have restricted oil shipments to China, which is the largest importer of crude in the world, at a time when markets are closely monitoring any change in shipping traffic through the main sea lanes in the region.
On the other hand, the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the Red Sea recorded an improvement in transit traffic, as Kepler data showed the passage of 30 ships loaded with primary goods at the beginning of this week, compared to 19 ships the previous week.
