Supply Chain & Logistics

Maritime security sources report at least 12 attacks, attempted attacks or harassment incidents involving oil, LNG and LPG tankers around the Strait of Hormuz in the week of September 28 to October 5, the highest weekly total since the U.S.-Iran war began February 28.

A rare cancellation and roughly 60,000 tonnes of delays in India-bound sunflower oil shipments show Black Sea war damage transmitting into food-oil supply chains, with Indian buyers already shifting toward palm oil.

Severe flooding in Thailand has moved from broad transport disruption into material industrial and air-cargo interruption, temporarily shutting four Toyota facilities and forcing Thai Airways to suspend inbound and outbound cargo acceptance at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi through October 6.

Ship-to-ship oil-transfer capacity off Oman has reached operational limits as Saudi Arabia reroutes exports away from Yanbu following the September 13 East-West Pipeline attack. Saudi exports through Hormuz are on track to rebound to about 3.6 million barrels per day in September from roughly 900,000 bpd in August, tightening VLCC availability and pushing the Middle East-to-China VLCC daily rate to a record $1.27 million.