Strait of Hormuz: Severely Restricted Multiple carriers rerouting via Cape of Good Hope Brent Crude above $90 per barrel Indian refineries on supply watch War risk premiums at multi-year highs Asia-Europe spot rates rising on rerouting pressure Strait of Hormuz: Severely Restricted Multiple carriers rerouting via Cape of Good Hope Brent Crude above $90 per barrel Indian refineries on supply watch War risk premiums at multi-year highs Asia-Europe spot rates rising on rerouting pressure
Strait Status
Threat Level
Days Disrupted
Hormuz Watch
Tankers
Container
LNG / LPG
Bulk
Naval
Live AIS via VesselFinder.com
Daily Oil in Transit
~17M bbl
EIA 2024
Share of Global Oil Trade
~20%
EIA
Share of Global LNG Trade
~30%
IGU 2024
Cape Reroute Extra Days
+14
vs Hormuz route
Annual Trade Value
$1T+
EIA estimate
Vessels Waiting and in Transit

Normal daily throughput through the strait is 50 to 60 vessels. Current figures are estimates based on publicly available AIS data and shipping intelligence as of the date shown. Actual conditions may differ.

Vessel Type Waiting (Est.) Avg Wait Normal Daily Current Daily Flag States
Crude Tankers (VLCC / Suezmax)60+4 to 7 days18 to 204 to 6Panama, Marshall Islands, Bahamas
LNG / LPG Carriers25+5 to 8 days10 to 122 to 3Marshall Islands, Bahamas, Liberia
Product Tankers30+3 to 5 days12 to 153 to 5Panama, Malta, Greece
Container Vessels20+3 to 6 days8 to 102 to 4Panama, Liberia, Hong Kong
Bulk Carriers10+2 to 4 days8 to 104 to 6Marshall Islands, Hong Kong, Panama
Estimates based on: MarineTraffic / Lloyd's List Intelligence / Kpler. Last reviewed: 21 Apr 2026.
Before and After

Key metrics against Q4 2025 pre-crisis averages. Current figures are estimates. Sources linked below.

Q4 2025 Baseline
April 2026 (Est.)
Daily Transits
50 to 60
Vessels per day, normal conditions
Daily Transits
15 to 20
Down sharply due to military risk and carrier suspensions
Brent Crude
~$72
USD/bbl, Nov to Dec 2025 average (EIA)
Brent Crude
$90+
USD/bbl, April 2026 (EIA)
War Risk Premium
0.05%
Of insured vessel value, per voyage
War Risk Premium
0.5 to 1%
Market estimate, Apr 2026. Not a quoted rate.
Asia-Europe SCFI
~$1,800
USD per TEU, November 2025 (SSE)
Asia-Europe SCFI
$3,500+
USD per TEU, estimated April 2026 (SSE)
VLSFO Bunker (Singapore)
~$570
USD/mt, Q4 2025 (Ship and Bunker)
VLSFO Bunker (Singapore)
~$680+
USD/mt, estimated April 2026 (Ship and Bunker)
Cape Rerouting Cost Add
N/A
Hormuz was standard for Asia-Europe
Cape Rerouting Cost Add
$400K+
Industry estimate for extra fuel and ops cost per voyage
Sources: Shanghai Shipping Exchange / EIA / Ship and Bunker. War risk figure is a market estimate, not a quoted underwriting rate.
Energy and Freight Markets

Brent and WTI are fetched weekly via EIA Open Data. All other figures are indicative market estimates updated by the Cargo Insights desk. Do not rely on these for commercial decisions.

Brent Crude
--
USD per barrel
Weekly via EIA Open Data
WTI Crude
--
USD per barrel
Weekly via EIA Open Data
LNG Spot Asia (JKM)
$14 to 16
USD per MMBtu
↑ Carrier diversion pressure
CI desk / 21 Apr 2026
VLSFO Bunker (Singapore)
~$680
USD per metric tonne
↑ Up from ~$570 in Q4 2025
Ref: Ship and Bunker
CI desk / 21 Apr 2026
Asia-Europe SCFI
$3,500+
USD per TEU
↑ Rerouting pressure on spot rates
Ref: Shanghai Shipping Exchange
CI desk / 21 Apr 2026
War Risk Premium (Hormuz)
0.5 to 1%
% of vessel value, per voyage
↑ Was 0.05% pre-crisis
Market estimate. Not a quoted rate.
CI desk / 21 Apr 2026
India Trade Exposure

India imports approximately 85% of its crude requirements. Gulf states supply roughly 60% of those imports, the bulk transiting the Strait of Hormuz. A sustained disruption puts refinery feedstock, LPG supply, and fertiliser imports at direct risk.

85%
Crude Import Dependency
India imports 85% of its crude oil needs, with Gulf states as the primary source.
4.5M
Barrels Per Day
India's daily crude import volume. Refinery buffer strains within 15 to 20 days in a full closure scenario.
~67
Days Strategic Reserve
SPR capacity at Vishakhapatnam, Mangaluru, and Padur totals approximately 5.33 MMT.
40%
LPG Import Exposure
India sources 40 to 45% of LPG from Gulf states. Household cooking gas supply is among the most exposed categories.
Commodities at Risk via Hormuz
Crude Oil~60% from Gulf
LPG40 to 45% Gulf origin
Fertilisers (Urea / DAP)Significant Gulf / Iran origin
PetrochemicalsUAE and Saudi Arabia
LNGQatar primary supplier
Key Gulf Crude Suppliers (2024)
Iraq~22%, largest single supplier
Saudi Arabia~16%
UAE~7%
Kuwait~5 to 6%
Qatar (LNG)Primary LNG supplier
PortPrimary Hormuz CargoKey OperatorsStatus
Mundra, GujaratCrude, containers, chemicalsNayara Energy, HPCL
JNPT / Nhava ShevaContainers, chemicalsMultiple lines, JNPADelays Expected
Hazira, GujaratLNG, chemicalsShell LNG terminal, GAIL
Kochi, KeralaCrude oilBPCL Kochi RefineryReserve Buffer Active
Paradip, OdishaCrude oilIndian Oil Corporation
PPAC / ISPRL / Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas / IOCL / BPCL / HPCL annual reports / Kpler
Desk Updates

Cargo Insights Editorial Desk. Updates are based on publicly available sources. Sources are on record with the editorial team. For corrections: [email protected]

21 Apr 2026
09:30
India
India's Ministry of Petroleum confirms refineries are operating on existing inventory. PPAC is tracking Gulf-origin vessel movements. No shortage declared.
Source: Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas press release, 21 Apr 2026
20 Apr 2026
18:45
Carriers
OOCL confirms Cape of Good Hope rerouting on Asia-Europe services, citing crew safety and escalating war risk premiums.
Source: OOCL customer advisory, oocl.com, 20 Apr 2026
20 Apr 2026
14:10
Energy
Brent holds above $90. Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan have flagged $100+ scenarios if disruption extends beyond 30 days, per published research notes.
Source: Reuters, 20 Apr 2026
19 Apr 2026
11:00
Conflict
According to Reuters and AP, Iran issued a transit warning to tankers without IRISL clearance. The US Fifth Fleet confirmed increased Gulf of Oman presence via official statement. Multiple VLCC operators instructed masters to hold at anchorage, per Lloyd's List reporting.
Sources: Reuters / AP / US Navy press statement / Lloyd's List, 19 Apr 2026
18 Apr 2026
16:30
Policy
Qatar's energy minister stated LNG export commitments to Asian buyers remain intact and that Qatar Petroleum is working with buyers on contingency routing, per remarks reported by Bloomberg.
Source: Bloomberg, 18 Apr 2026
17 Apr 2026
09:00
India
Iran War: Inside the Logistics Crisis of 2026. Full analysis in the April 2026 edition of Cargo Insights.
Source: Cargo Insights, April 2026 edition
Historical Context
1980 to 1988
Iran-Iraq Tanker War
Both sides attacked commercial shipping throughout the Gulf. Over 400 tankers were hit across eight years. The Strait remained technically open but dangerous, with heavy war risk premiums and widespread use of military escorts.
8 years400+ vessels attackedOil to $35+ per barrelUN ceasefire, Aug 1988
1987
Operation Earnest Will
The US Navy escorted Kuwaiti-flagged tankers through the Strait in the largest US naval convoy operation since World War II. Transit continued under military protection.
14 monthsUS Navy convoy escortsLimited price impact due to oversupply
2019
Tanker Attacks and Iran-US Tensions
Attacks on the Front Altair and Kokuka Courageous triggered a sharp short-term spike. Brent jumped approximately 15% in June 2019. No full closure but war risk premiums rose significantly for several months.
~6 months elevated riskBrent +15% June 2019No closure
2023 to 2024
Red Sea Crisis, Houthi Attacks
Houthi attacks forced most major carriers off the Red Sea onto Cape of Good Hope routing from late 2023. Asia-Europe rates tripled at peak. Suez transits fell approximately 50%. The dynamics now playing out in Hormuz were first rehearsed here.
All major carriers reroutedAsia-Europe rates tripledSuez down ~50%
2026
Iran-Israel-US Escalation
Escalating military tensions have severely restricted commercial transit. Multiple major carriers suspended or rerouted. Brent above $90. India's crude supply chains under active monitoring. Resolution timeline unclear.
Unresolved, Apr 2026Brent $90+6+ carriers rerouting
EIA Chokepoints Fact Sheet / US Naval Institute / BP Statistical Review / Lloyd's List archives
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For informational purposes only. All content on this page is based on publicly available sources as cited. Market prices, vessel figures, and carrier statuses are indicative estimates. Do not rely on this page for commercial, navigational, financial, or operational decisions. Verify all critical information directly with your carrier, broker, or official sources.   |   Terms of Use   |   Privacy Policy   |   Corrections: [email protected]
Data Sources
  • EIA Strait of Hormuz Chokepoints Report
  • EIA Open Data API (eia.gov/opendata)
  • VesselFinder AIS (vesselfinder.com)
  • Shanghai Shipping Exchange SCFI
  • Ship and Bunker VLSFO (shipandbunker.com)
  • IGU World LNG Report 2024
Carrier Sources
  • maersk.com / msc.com
  • cmacgm-group.com
  • hapag-lloyd.com / one-line.com
  • oocl.com / pilship.com
  • Alphaliner / Lloyd's List / JOC
India Sources
  • PPAC India (ppac.gov.in)
  • ISPRL (isprl.gov.in)
  • Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
  • IOCL / BPCL / HPCL annual reports
  • Kpler tanker tracking
Cargo Insights Published by Cargo Insights, SDDB Branding Solutions Pvt Ltd, New Delhi. All original editorial content is copyright 2026 Cargo Insights / SDDB Branding Solutions Pvt Ltd. Third-party data remains the property of respective owners and is cited accordingly. Brent and WTI prices are fetched weekly via the EIA Open Data API and reflect the latest available weekly close. War risk premium figures are market estimates and do not represent quoted underwriting rates. This page is for informational reference only and does not constitute financial, commercial, or navigational advice. Ship operators should rely solely on official NAVTEX, IMO, and flag state communications for navigational decisions.
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