Greek, UAE, Chinese shipping firms hit hardest by Strait of Hormuz block

Shipping companies from Greece, the United Arab Emirates and China are among those most affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, according to data from Bloomberg and international maritime monitoring organizations.

Over the past 48 hours, around 670 cargo ships have been tracked waiting on the western side of the strait. However, the actual number may be higher, as some ships are believed to have switched off their tracking systems.

Companies based in the United Arab Emirates account for the largest share, with approximately 120 vessels, about 18% of the total. Greek shipping firms rank second, managing at least 75 commercial ships that in the strait since the start of the conflict, representing roughly 12%. Of these, around 30 are oil or gas tankers, according to Bloomberg analysis.

Chinese companies follow closely, with 74 vessels in the area, including 25 oil and gas tankers, while the remainder are container ships or general cargo carriers.

The disruption has also affected other Asian operators. Japanese firms are linked to at least 23 oil and gas tankers and 16 dry cargo ships operating in the strait.

Ship movements are tracked through an Automatic Identification System (AIS), a mandatory system for most commercial vessels. AIS continuously transmits data such as position, speed, course and identity, enabling both maritime and onshore monitoring of global shipping activity.