This month-long journey cannot be sped up much. Ships can travel faster, but this compromises safety, uses more fuel and increases costs. Once oil reaches the country, refining, loading and transportation speeds are constrained by existing infrastructure.
Japan is fortunate to have strategic energy reserves and a robust distribution system that can help it weather the energy crisis. Not every country has these advantages. In countries with less developed refining, port or pipeline infrastructure, it may take even longer for fuel to reach consumers.
And countries that rely on others to refine their oil could now face even greater delays because of the war as they wait for damaged facilities in the Gulf states to come back online. In March, the Philippines declared a national emergency due to disruptions in oil supplies.
Even if the Strait of Hormuz fully reopens, it could take months for shipping to return to normal. With hundreds of tankers stuck or diverted, eliminating traffic will lengthen trips.
And insurance premiums for travel through the strait – still considered a high-risk zone – are likely to make some trips economically unviable.
It’s not just about getting the oil flowing again. Supply chains faltered by the disruption will take time to recover. Large parts of Asia are already struggling with shortages of petroleum-derived goods such as plastics, adhesives and paints.
