Tokyo: US crude oil has arrived in Japan for the first time since the onset of the Iran crisis, marking a significant shift in Japan's oil procurement strategy. The shipment, facilitated by Japanese oil distributor Cosmo Oil Co., is a response to the disruption in traditional supply routes following US attacks on Iran in late February.

According to Philippines News Agency, a tanker carrying 910,000 barrels of US crude oil reached an offshore jetty in Tokyo Bay on Sunday. This delivery comes amid growing concerns over oil supply due to the de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments. The volume of this shipment represents less than a day's consumption for Japan, prompting the Japanese government to expedite crude oil procurement from non-Middle Eastern sources due to escalating tensions in the region.

The tanker embarked on its journey from a Texas port at the end of March and traversed the Panama Canal, arriving in Japan after approximately one month. The imported crude will be transferred via an undersea pipeline to the Chiba refinery, operated by Cosmo Oil, a subsidiary of Cosmo Energy Holdings Co., where it will be processed into petroleum products like gasoline for market supply.

Japan, heavily reliant on the Middle East for over 90 percent of its crude oil imports, faces an urgent challenge to secure a stable energy supply amidst the Middle East's deteriorating geopolitical landscape. In response, Japan plans to diversify its import routes, sourcing more oil from regions bypassing the Strait of Hormuz as well as from North America, Central and South America, and Central Asia. Imports from the United States are projected to increase fourfold year-on-year by May.