Which Countries Move the Most Oil Through the Strait of Hormuz—the World’s Vital Oil Chokepoint?
Charting the oil flows through the world’s energy chokepoint.
The narrow passage between Iran and Oman, known as the Strait of Hormuz- is a linchpin for global crude flows since 20 million barrels daily transit this route—this is roughly 20% of global oil shipments.
The strait handles world’s largest crude oil tankers, and it is one of the world’s most important oil chokepoints. According to the data retrieved from IMF’s UN PortWatch, tankers make up roughly 60% of annual vessels, following containers and dry bulk carriers.
The primary goods traded through the strait are oil, minerals, chemicals, and vegetable products.
The Countries Most Dependent on the Strait of Hormuz for Oil Trade
By origin: In 2024, Saudi Arabia moved the most oil through Strait of Hormuz, accounting for 38% of crude and condensate exports—about 5.5 million barrels per day.
If shut, oil markets could face the prospect of sustained disruptions. While OPEC+ producers retain spare capacity, most of it resides in Persian Gulf states where the risk of military spillover is highest.
In 2024 and early 2025, over a quarter of global seaborne oil trade and about one-fifth of global oil and petroleum product consumption passed through the Strait of Hormuz.
Additionally, about 20% of global LNG trade—primarily from Qatar—also passed through the strait in 2024 and early 2025.
By destination: Most of the crude oil (84%) and liquefied natural gas (83%) moved through the strait goes to Asian countries, namely China, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
In 2024, China, India, Japan, and South Korea received 69% of all the crude oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz and could make these most vulnerable to any supply disruption through a shutdown. At the same time, the U.S. crude imports from the Persian Gulf were at a 40-year low , driven by rising domestic output and Canadian imports.
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