Fleet of 10 Japan-related ships exit Hormuz strait, data shows

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A fleet of 10 Japan-linked vessels is exiting the Strait of Hormuz today while a supertanker carrying Saudi crude for South Korea left over the weekend, shipping data on LSEG showed, after the ships were stranded in the Gulf for months because of the Iran war, Reuters reports.

The Japan-linked ships include six very large crude carriers loaded with 12 million barrels of Middle Eastern crude, two chemical tankers, a vehicle carrier and a container ship, the data showed.

The tankers are carrying crudes from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar that were loaded in late February to early March.

Most of the vessels are managed by Japanese shipper Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) which had said it would prioritise the safety of its seafarers, cargo and vessels when traversing the strait. Mitsui OSK declined to comment.