Preliminary Shipping Data Reveals Decline in Maritime Traffic Through Strait of Hormuz

Preliminary shipping data released Wednesday revealed only four commodity vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. This figure represents a sharp decline from ten vessels observed the previous day, falling below the ten-day average of approximately 13 vessels. Data from Kepler, a specialized ship-tracking firm, recorded at 02:00 GMT, specified the four vessels as a very large crude carrier (VLCC), a Panamax-sized tanker, a Kamsarmax-sized tanker, and a medium-sized tanker. One vessel was entering the strait; three were departing. These figures may change, as some ships often switch off transponders during transit. Concurrently, 18 commodity vessels transited the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Tuesday, another key Middle Eastern waterway. Seven vessels entered, and eleven departed, a figure lower than the average of around 24 vessels over the past ten days. The transiting vessels included two Aframax-sized and one Suezmax-sized oil tankers.