Japan Seeks Canadian Crude Amid Hormuz Supply Disruptions

Uncertainty over crude oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz is prompting Asian nations to turn to Canada’s TMX crude.

Published on July 30, 202630 Jul 2026

The first Canadian crude oil shipment since 2025 is en route to Japan aboard a vessel chartered by Exxon Mobil, according to data from tracking firm Kpler.

The Marshall Islands‑flagged vessel, Freedom Glory, which can carry up to 750,000 barrels of crude, departed Vancouver on Wednesday, loaded with Trans Mountain pipeline (TMX) crude.

The latest oil shipment from TMX Canada was purchased by Japan’s largest refiner Eneos, Kpler reported.

Tokyo revised its growth forecast for the year downward to 0.9 percent from 1.3 percent as higher oil prices weigh on the economy.

Prior to the February conflict involving the United States and Israel, Japan was importing over 90 percent of its oil through the Strait of Hormuz.

Now, Japan joins several Asian countries in urgently seeking alternative suppliers after the war disrupted Hormuz shipments.

Trans Mountain oil

The Trans Mountain pipeline can transport up to 890,000 barrels of crude daily from Alberta to a marine terminal in Burnaby, British Columbia.

The pipeline is owned by the federal government and has operated near 90 percent capacity since the third quarter of 2025.

Exports of TMX crude to Asian markets accounted for nearly 77 percent of Vancouver’s total oil exports this year, up from about 51 percent in 2024.

India, Malaysia and Singapore have resumed purchases of TMX‑sourced crude since the Iran conflict, while Canadian oil supplies nearly 60 percent of U.S. crude imports, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he has no intention of using Canada’s oil as leverage in negotiations with Washington, even as the Trump administration imposed new tariffs on Canadian goods.

“Canadians can be trusted. And so, when you’re a supplier of a key commodity… you gotta think really hard about not supplying,” Carney stated when asked about employing Canadian oil as a pressure tactic.

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