A shipment of 910,000 barrels of US-produced crude from Texas has arrived in Tokyo Bay after a 35-day voyage.
Tokyo: A tanker carrying about 910,000 barrels of US-produced crude oil from Texas arrived in Tokyo Bay on Sunday (April 26), Japanese media reported.
The arrival marks the completion of a roughly 35-day voyage through the Panama Canal, and is among the largest direct US crude deliveries to Japan in recent years.
The cargo aboard the tanker M/V Otis reflects a notable shift in global energy flows, as buyers increasingly seek alternatives to Middle Eastern supplies amid disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint for global oil shipments.
Rerouting
The long-haul shipment from the US Gulf Coast highlights how international buyers are increasingly rerouting cargoes, despite higher transport costs and congestion at alternative passages such as the Panama Canal.
Recent industry reports indicate that transit fees and waiting times through the canal have risen as vessels avoid the Persian Gulf and opt for longer routes to Asia.
Energy analysts say such deliveries are likely to remain a feature of global markets as refiners contend with supply uncertainty and look to hedge against geopolitical risks.
The Cosmo tanker, loaded in Texas on March 22, was expected to arrive off Chiba as early as Sunday (April 26) via the Panama Canal, Narumi Hosokawa, deputy director-general for immediate crisis management at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), told reporters in Tokyo on Friday.
On April 17, 2026, Bloomberg reported that oil tankers carrying US crude via the Panama Canal had reached a four-year high.
The surge in US crude exports to Asia comes amid ongoing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
