Japan is set to receive its first Middle East crude cargo through the Strait of Hormuz since hostilities began at the end of February. A Panama-flagged very large crude carrier, the Idemitsu Maru, left Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura port in mid-March carrying about 2 million barrels of Saudi crude. Shipping data cited in reporting indicates the tanker will arrive at Nagoya and dock at a refining facility in Aichi Prefecture around May 25–Monday, depending on the source’s timing. The cargo is intended for the Aichi refinery operated by Idemitsu Kosan, according to a Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry briefing document referenced by Bloomberg.
Reporting also notes that the shipment follows a period in which most energy flows through the strait were disrupted. Japan previously saw Middle East crude volumes fall sharply after the conflict and the effective closure of Hormuz. Japan’s April crude imports from the Middle East dropped by 67.2% year-on-year, according to provisional trade data from the Ministry of Finance. A separate Japan-bound tanker, the Eneos Endeavor, cleared the Strait of Hormuz earlier and is expected to arrive in Japan around May 30. NHK reports three Japanese crew members aboard Idemitsu Maru are in good health as Japan monitors shipments.
