Two ships from the Chinese carrier COSCO Shipping began crossing the Strait of Hormuz today, two days after the company resumed booking containers destined for several countries in the region, local press reported.
According to the private Chinese portal Caixin, which cites anonymous sources, the ships Indian Ocean and Arctic Ocean sailed out of the strait, after becoming “stuck” inside the Persian Gulf, displaying the identifier “China Owner” and transporting mainly empty containers.
The two vessels were scheduled to leave for Malaysia in mid-March, but attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran, as well as reprisals by Tehran, ended up resulting in a de facto blockade of the vessel. Strait of Hormuz, a strategic maritime route through which around 20% of the oil and natural gas consumed worldwide passes.
The information indicates, however, that the Ships will not follow the usual route, crossing the strait, but rather a “safe corridor” made available by the Iranian authorities, which involves a detour into the country’s territorial waters, between the islands of Larak and Qeshm, in the northern part of Hormuz.
One of the sources cited by Caixin states that COSCO gave priority to the return of empty cargo ships, since, in the event of an attack during the crossing, they would suffer less damage than the company’s oil tankers present in the Persian Gulf, which are fully loaded.
According to the same outlet, it is not yet clear whether vessels with cargo will be allowed to cross those waters, adding that the ships are awaiting the results of negotiations between Beijing and Tehran on this possibility.
An employee of a Chinese shipping company explained that any ship intending to use the aforementioned “safe corridor” must contact, through intermediaries, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and negotiate the payment of a fee or the provision of goods transport services.
According to consultancy Lloyd’s List Intelligence, at least two ships have already paid this fee, allegedly in the Chinese currency, the yuan.
On Wednesday, COSCO announced that it would once again accept new container bookings destined for several countries in the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Iraq.
The next day, the cargo ship Aquarius docked at the port of Sohar, in Oman, about 240 kilometers south of the Strait of Hormuz, carrying almost 200,000 tons of goods destined for the Gulf countries.
Lusa
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