A quick update from AXSMarine on ship movement through the Strait of Hormuz based on the latest AIS-derived data:
After gradually recovering during late March and early April, crossings slowed again after the US Navy imposed a counter-blockade on April 13.
During most of March, confirmed transits across the bulk, tanker and gas sectors averaged less than 5 times a day.
By the last week of the month, this number had risen to around 10, and continued into early April – especially before any ceasefire was announced, indicating that traffic was already starting to recover.
A ceasefire reached in early April added modest momentum, with crossings peaking at 17 on April 12. However, within 24 hours of the blockade being imposed, daily crossings dropped to single digits.
As of April 15, 949 merchant vessels west of Hormuz had been tracked within the Gulf, of which 307 were operating without AIS signals. This puts the AIS-dark rate at 32%, more than double the pre-conflict baseline of 17%.
By sector:
- 299 dry bulk vessels (87 in blackout), with breakbulk remaining the most active sector, albeit still skewed offshore
- 58 gas tankers, with very limited LNG activity
- 429 carriers (144 in case of power outage), with movements remaining selective
From an ownership perspective (counting crossings after April 1), activity is concentrated among a relatively narrow group:
- Large inflows are dominated by Greek owners
- The tanker movement is led by Chinese, Emirati, and sanctions-linked fleets
- Gas movements are primarily driven by sanctions-linked Indian and UAE operators
Source: Access Marine
