On Wednesday, ten commodity vessels navigated the Strait of Hormuz, an increase from seven the previous day, yet still below the ten-day moving average of approximately 17 vessels, according to preliminary shipping data released on Thursday.
Of the vessels that entered the strait, nine included supramax ships transporting metals, grain, and other dry bulk cargoes, along with an empty very large gas carrier. Additionally, one supramax vessel transporting fertilizer was reported to have exited the strait as of 04:23 GMT on Thursday. It’s noteworthy that these figures do not account for any vessels that may have crossed the strait while turning off their transponders to evade detection.
Prior to the onset of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran on February 28, the Strait of Hormuz routinely accommodated around 125 large commercial vessels daily. This traffic comprised tankers, gas carriers, bulkers, and container ships, constituting roughly 20 percent of the world’s daily supply of crude oil and liquefied natural gas. The current data may reflect the ongoing geopolitical tensions affecting maritime activities in this critical region.
