Asian Countries in Fierce Competition for U.S. Crude as Middle Eastern Oil Supplies Cut Off

Number of Tankers Bound for Gulf Coast Doubles
U.S. Oil Exports Hit Seven-Month High
Trump Uses Situation as Leverage in Iran Talks

Amid the dual blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the competition among Asian countries for U.S. crude oil is intensifying as supplies of Middle Eastern oil are cut off.

U.S. President Donald Trump is making his signature hand gesture at an event held in Las Vegas, Nevada, on the 16th (local time). Photo by Reuters Yonhap News Agency

On April 17, Japan’s Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) reported, citing shipping data, that as many as 70 very large crude carriers (VLCCs) are currently headed from Asia toward the Gulf Coast in the southern United States. This is more than double the usual number. Matt Smith, an analyst at the European research firm Kpler, described the scene as “a fleet of tankers heading to America.”

These VLCCs were originally developed to transport Middle Eastern oil to Asian countries such as Japan at low cost, but are now bound for the United States. Each VLCC has a loading capacity of 2 million barrels, making it one of the largest among oil tankers. According to Nikkei, the amount of oil a single vessel can carry is equivalent to about half a day’s total oil consumption for all of Japan.

Bloomberg News, quoting crude oil traders, also reported that at the beginning of this month, refiners in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Thailand purchased at least 60 million barrels of U.S. Gulf Coast grades for shipment next month. This is similar in scale to the total amount shipped in April and is the highest level seen in three years.

Asian countries have also increased orders for Alaska North Slope crude. The premium for Mars, a major high-sulfur crude, reached an all-time high this month.

The U.S. energy boom is also confirmed by government data. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) announced on April 15 that U.S. crude oil exports for the week ending April 10 rose 26% from the previous week, reaching 5.225 million barrels per day. This was the highest weekly figure in the last seven months. At the same time, exports of natural gas are also on the rise. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports are projected to increase more than 20% by 2027 compared to 2025. Once five export terminals currently under construction begin operations in 2026, utilization rates are expected to rise even further.

The Trump Administration is leveraging this situation as a “negotiation lever.” On April 11, U.S. President Donald Trump, on the day of the scheduled U.S.-Iran peace talks in Pakistan, emphasized that “a large number of empty oil tankers are heading to the United States,” highlighting America’s rise as an alternative to Middle Eastern oil. This was interpreted as underscoring U.S. energy dominance. The White House also stated on April 14 that 167 oil tankers had declared the United States as their destination, with 103 of them being empty tankers arriving to load U.S. crude oil.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.