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2026-09-16 18:42:11
[Strait of Hormuz Traffic Plummets, Energy Transport Under Concern] ⑴ The number of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday dropped to four, far below the 10-day average of 18 and fewer than the seven recorded the previous day. ⑵ Preliminary shipping data shows two ships departing and two entering on the day, with escalating regional attacks leading to a continued slump in shipping activity in this strategic waterway. ⑶ Before the war, the Strait of Hormuz handled about one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supplies. The latest data indicates a significant decrease in reported ship traffic, but some ships may not have been counted. ⑷ Of the four passages recorded on Tuesday, no Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) or liquefied natural gas carriers (LNG carriers) were included; some ships may have sailed with their transponders off and thus not been included in the reported data. ⑸ One VLCC departed via the Iranian route carrying approximately 470,000 barrels of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and another Panamax tanker departed via an unknown, unofficial route carrying approximately 510,000 barrels of naphtha. (6) Both vessels entering the strait that day were carrying cargo: one was a short-haul heavy product tanker, and the other was a dry bulk carrier, both entering via the Iranian route. (7) Meanwhile, traffic in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait was relatively smooth on Tuesday, with 22 vessels recorded, only slightly lower than the 24 recorded the previous day. (8) There may be discrepancies between reported data and actual traffic volume; vessels with their transponders off may indicate that the actual flow is higher than reported, and market concerns about disruptions to energy transport continue to escalate.
