Tanker traffic through Hormuz falls to lowest level since talks began

Fewer than forty laden tankers transited the Strait of Hormuz last week, according to tracking data reviewed by RG News, the lowest weekly count since the Muscat talks opened in July. Shipowners say the decline reflects a combination of higher war-risk premiums, longer inspection queues and a preference among charterers to load elsewhere while the outcome of the talks remains uncertain.

The drop has been sharpest among vessels flagged in Europe. Northgate Shipping, which does not operate tankers but routes container ships through the region, said it had added four days to its Asia–Europe schedules to allow for diversions. “We are planning for the worst and hoping to be wrong,” a company spokesperson said.

Analysts caution that weekly counts are noisy and that a single large convoy can change the picture. But the direction is clear enough that Gulf refiners have begun booking storage in Fujairah and Oman rather than waiting on the strait.