Hormuz disruption drives Americas crude exports to all-time high in May in Freight News 10/06/2026 US crude oil exports surged to a record 5.6 million b/d in May, as Strait of Hormuz disruptions forced global buyers to seek alternative supply sources, S&P Global Commodities at Sea(opens in a new tab) data showed. The sharp decline in Middle Eastern crude availability pushed buyers toward US Gulf Coast suppliers, with South Korea emerging as the largest single destination at a record 1.1 million b/d in May. European buyers also stepped up purchases, with the Netherlands taking 686,000 b/d and new flows emerging to several markets, including Croatia, the Philippines and Turkey. US exports to Japan were steady at 602,000 b/d in May. The bulk of US crude exports — 4.9 million b/d — was light, sweet crude. Medium and heavy crude exports from the US climbed to a record high in May, with 3.5 million barrels sent to Germany and 4.3 million barrels to Italy. The US exported 3 million barrels of medium and heavy crude to South Korea and 1.7 million barrels to Japan. Americas crude replaces Persian Gulf barrels The surge in US exports was part of a larger regional trend. Dirty tanker shipments from the Americas hit an all-time high of 14.5 million b/d in May, up from 13.8 million b/d in April, a 40% increase from May 2025, according to shipping association BIMCO. The surge came as transits through the Strait of Hormuz plummeted 89% from February to May, with total ship movements dropping from over 3,700 to around 400, according to CAS data. “With a 32% year-on-year increase and a 30% rise compared to January-February, US exports have been the main driver of the boost from the Americas during March-May,” said Niels Rasmussen, chief shipping analyst at BIMCO, in a report. Asia accounted for nearly 50% of the year-over-year volume increase during March-May, with flows to Asia growing from 4.1 million b/d in the same period in 2025 to 5.4 million b/d in 2026, BIMCO said. Lates