Vessel-tracking data and trade sources including Kpler and Vortexa show Asia's
diesel shipments to Africa in August are expected to hit a four-and-a-half-year
high of about 1.8–2.0 mln tonnes (13.4–14.9 mln barrels). LSEG, Kpler and trade
sources say Middle East exports to Africa fell to roughly 0.6–0.8 mln tonnes in
August, the lowest in nearly nine years, amid sustained shipping risk in the Bab
el-Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz. Kpler data show last year about 50% of Africa's
diesel imports came from the Middle East, around 40% from Saudi Arabia. Trade
sources said Saudi Aramco cut runs at some facilities including Jazan,
restricting Saudi diesel flows; Kpler shows Jazan shipments to Africa fell to
zero in August from 163,000 tonnes in July.
