Shipping data: Iraq leads Gulf oil export growth despite Hormuz crisis
Shipping data: Iraq leads Gulf oil export growth despite Hormuz crisis
2026-07-19
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Data from shipping companies Kpler and Vortexa showed that Iraq was among the leading countries driving the rise in crude oil and condensate exports from the Gulf during the first half of July, at a time when the region’s exports reached their highest levels since before the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War in late February, despite the slowdown in tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz as fighting resumed.
According to data from the two companies, exports from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, Kuwait and Iran rose by about 16% compared to the June average, reaching about 12 million barrels per day according to Kpler estimates, while Vortexa estimated it at 13.06 million barrels per day.
Vortexa noted that Iraq recorded the largest monthly increase in its exports among the Gulf countries during the period, while Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq together led the rise in exports.
Despite this recovery, Reuters warned that Gulf exports are still about 32% lower than their pre-war peak, when they reached 17.6 million barrels per day in February.
Shipping data also showed that the number of tankers crossing the Strait of Hormuz fell to just three on one day, the lowest level since May, amid concerns about escalating tensions and potential threats to shipping in the Red Sea, which could affect global oil flows.
shafaq.com
