Kuwait has put crude oil up for sale to Asian refiners for the first time since the Iran war began, offering at least 4 million barrels of the countrys primary export grade to buyers in China and South Korea. The cargoes are being moved on two very large crude carriers (VLCCs), according to available information.
The decision to market these barrels is being watched as another indicator that oil shipments from Persian Gulf producers are beginning to resume, despite continuing threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The timing of the offers coincides with increased coordination of transit operations by the United States, a factor that has accompanied other Gulf shipments restarting.
Separately, the United Arab Emirates has also sold millions of barrels loaded from points inside the Persian Gulf to Asian refiners, underscoring a broader, if still limited, uptick in flows from the region. Even with these recent movements, total exports remain well below the volumes seen before the conflict began.
Crude from Kuwait is typically loaded from terminals positioned deep inside the Persian Gulf, which requires tankers to transit the Strait of Hormuz to reach international markets. The barrels currently on offer have already cleared that waterway and are positioned to be delivered to Asian ports with relative speed.
The shipments represent both a logistical and market development: logistical because they illustrate tankers moving through a narrow and strategically sensitive corridor, and market-related because they indicate sellers and buyers are re-engaging in routine crude trading across the Gulf-to-Asia route. The scale of the reported offers - at least 4 million barrels - and the use of two VLCCs point to a meaningful, though still partial, restoration of export flows.
Summary
Kuwait is offering at least 4 million barrels of its main export grade to refiners in China and South Korea. The cargoes are on two VLCCs and have already exited the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting faster delivery to Asian ports. This development comes alongside increased U.S. coordination of transits and similar sales by the UAE, although overall flows remain below pre-war levels.