Japan’s crude inflows from the Middle East look set to rebound in July after two Japanese-owned supertankers loaded with Saudi crude were reported exiting the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, according to gCaptain citing shipping data. The movement points to a partial normalization in a key chokepoint for global oil tanker traffic after recent delays left vessels stranded.
For tanker markets, the development matters because Hormuz remains the main outlet for Gulf crude exports to Asian buyers, including Japan. TankerMap flow tracking treats any recovery in VLCC departures through the strait as an immediate signal for seaborne supply, voyage scheduling and discharge timing into Northeast Asia.