Japan will receive oil from Azerbaijan for the first time since the beginning of the Middle East crisis

Japan will receive its first shipment of Azerbaijani oil since the escalation in the Middle East began, amid disruptions to supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Reuters, a tanker carrying Azerbaijani oil is expected to arrive at the port of Yokohama as early as Tuesday.

According to Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the cargo is destined for the Japanese company Eneos.

Deputy Director-General of the Ministry's Crisis Management Division, Narumi Hosokawa, stated that this is the first oil delivery from Azerbaijan to Japan since the beginning of the Middle East conflict.

Before the start of the American-Israeli military campaign against Iran in late February, approximately 95% of Japan's oil imports came from Middle Eastern countries.

However, after the blockage of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Tokyo was forced to seek alternative sources of supply.

The publication also notes that Japanese oil refineries have historically been geared toward processing Middle Eastern oil, but the country has already begun diversifying its imports.

In addition to Azerbaijan, Japan has increased oil purchases from the United States and has also imported crude from Russia's Sakhalin-2 project, which is covered by a sanctions exemption.

After the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, Japan virtually ceased importing Russian oil and joined the sanctions against Moscow.

To compensate for the supply deficit from the Middle East, Tokyo has also begun tapping into its strategic petroleum reserves.

As of May 8, Japan's oil reserves covered 205 days of domestic consumption.