Takahiko Kōji announced: All of Japan's crude oil imports will be 100% rerouted around the Strait of Hormuz starting from July 2026! On June 11, according to reports by Kyodo News and The Nikkei, Japanese Prime Minister Takahiko Kōji formally announced at the cabinet meeting that beginning in July 2026, all crude oil imports into Japan will bypass the Strait of Hormuz entirely. She also stated that, thanks to diversified procurement channels and oil reserves, Japan’s domestic crude oil supply can remain stable until March 2028.
According to information released by Japan, approximately 80% of the country’s current crude oil is already being transported via alternative routes. This adjustment does not mean abandoning Middle Eastern crude supplies altogether, but rather changing transportation routes: some crude oil from Saudi Arabia and the UAE will no longer pass through the Strait of Hormuz, instead being shipped out from Red Sea ports or transferred via land pipelines. Meanwhile, Japan continues to expand its import sources, significantly increasing purchases of U.S. crude oil while supplementing supply from regions such as Canada, Mexico, and Russia’s Far East.
Additionally, it should be noted that from an operational standpoint, the new routes carry numerous risks. Crude oil purchased from regions like the United States comes at a higher cost, and longer oceanic transport distances increase overall fuel expenses; meanwhile, new shipping lanes through the Red Sea and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait still face uncertainties related to geopolitical conflicts and maritime security. Furthermore, Japan’s existing refining facilities have long been optimized for heavy crude oil from the Middle East—shifting to large-scale imports of lighter foreign crude requires significant equipment modifications, which may temporarily affect refining capacity in the short term.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1867800496104460/
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