S/ Akazawa Ryosei, Economy, Trade and Industry Minister / As early as Saturday, March 28, a tanker that departed from outside the Strait of Hormuz is expected to arrive in our country for the first time since the onset of this situation.

Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Akazawa Ryosei said on March 24 that the tanker carrying crude oil imported from the Middle East is using an alternative route that avoids the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively blockaded.

The shipment was transported through a pipeline and loaded at a port on the Red Sea side of Saudi Arabia.

In addition, a tanker that used a port in the United Arab Emirates on the eastern side of the Strait of Hormuz outside the Persian Gulf and another that is passing through a route outside the Middle East are also expected to arrive in Japan around April 5 and 25.

With Iran threatening to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz, Japan and other countries are scrambling to secure alternative routes to transport crude oil.