No Alternative Route for Japanese Oil Tankers

Japan is not considering an alternative route to the Strait of Hormuz for shipping crude oil, a Japanese trade ministry official said today, clarifying remarks he made earlier in Abu Dhabi. "The Strait of Hormuz remains Japan's most important route for transporting oil to Japan," said Hideichi Okada, vice-minister of international affairs in Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, in a phone interview from Tokyo.

"An alternative route is absolutely not something we have in mind," he said, clarifying earlier remarks on Japanese shipping in the region. Okada also said Japan would like to step up security through strengthening communication and exchanges of information with countries around the world. He was in the United Arab Emirates capital to attend a conference with Japanese companies based in the region to promote business. The UAE state news agency said last week that militants attacked a Japanese supertanker near the Strait of Hormuz with explosives on 28 July 2010. - Upstream