Uncertainty over crude oil supplies via the Strait of Hormuz has prompted several Asian countries to turn to Canada’s Trans Mountain pipeline (TMX) crude oil.

On Wednesday, the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel Freedom Glory, carrying up to 750,000 barrels of TMX crude, departed Vancouver headed for Japan. This marks the first shipment of Canadian crude oil to Japan since 2025, on a ship chartered by Exxon Mobil, according to data from tracking firm Kpler. Japan’s largest refiner, Eneos, purchased the latest shipment.

The Trans Mountain pipeline transports up to 890,000 barrels of crude oil daily from Canada’s Alberta to a marine terminal in Burnaby, British Columbia.

The shift comes after the US and Israel launched a war on Iran in February, which disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz—a route previously responsible for more than 90 percent of Japan’s oil imports. In response, Japan and other Asian countries such as India, Malaysia, and Singapore have sought to diversify their crude oil suppliers, returning to Canadian oil via TMX. Canadian crude also accounts for nearly 60 percent of US crude oil imports, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

The impact of higher oil prices was reflected on Thursday, when Tokyo lowered its economic growth forecast for 2026 to 0.9 percent from 1.3 percent.

Despite recent US tariffs on Canadian products announced by the administration of President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that Canada does not intend to use its oil supplies as leverage in negotiations with Washington.

Sources