Charts of the Day: Strait of Hormuz Blockade Threatens China’s Energy Supply
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Military strikes linked to the U.S.-Israel-Iran war have turned the Strait of Hormuz into a combat zone, threatening one of the world’s most important oil and gas chokepoints and raising fresh risks for China, which relies heavily on crude and liquefied natural gas shipments from the Gulf.
The narrow waterway is the only sea passage in and out of the Persian Gulf. Any prolonged disruption there would hit not only Iran, which is directly involved in the conflict, but also major oil producers along the Gulf coast including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.
China is a key destination for Middle Eastern energy exports. According to 2025 Chinese customs data, four of China’s top 11 crude suppliers — Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the U.A.E. and Kuwait — depend on shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
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- Military conflict near the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted vital oil and gas shipping routes, affecting exports from key Gulf producers.
- About 40% of China’s top crude imports and 28.7% of its LNG supply in 2025 came from Gulf states reliant on the strait, increasing China’s energy vulnerability.
- Despite disruptions, some tanker traffic continues; Saudi Arabia is rerouting exports, but alternative routes like Yanbu face risks from Iranian attacks.
- Royal Bank of Canada
- The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) has released an analysis indicating that the Saudi Arabian port of Yanbu, used for rerouting oil exports to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, has also been subjected to Iranian attacks. This suggests that these alternative shipping routes remain vulnerable to serious risks.
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