Key facts
- Global crude oil inventories are declining.
- Shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have stalled.
- Japan's crude inventory has decreased by 18% since the start of the Iran war.
- The ongoing situation is pushing oil prices higher.
Global crude oil stockpiles have started to decline again, a trend attributed to the de facto shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz. This disruption to Middle Eastern shipments is causing oil prices to rise. Japan, in particular, has seen its crude inventory decrease by 18% since the onset of the Iran war.
