Regional Impact & Trade Exposure

The Strait of Hormuz closure has created a differentiated impact across the global economy, with the severity of exposure directly correlated to each nation's dependence on Gulf hydrocarbon imports. Japan and South Korea face the most acute crisis, with 88% and 73% of their respective crude oil imports transiting the strait. These nations have limited alternative supply sources and their strategic petroleum reserves, while substantial, provide only weeks of coverage at current consumption rates.

China and India occupy a middle tier of exposure. China has been actively diversifying its energy supply through overland pipelines from Russia and Central Asia, but 40% of its crude still depends on the Gulf route. India has dramatically increased Russian oil imports, which now account for nearly 40% of its total crude intake, but the remaining Gulf dependency still represents a critical vulnerability. The European Union and United States face more moderate direct exposure, though the secondary effects through LNG disruption and global price transmission remain significant.