Overview
- Market participants say insuring a transit through the Strait of Hormuz now costs about 5% of a vessel’s value, roughly five times early‑war levels and far above pre‑conflict fractions of a percent.
- Coverage remains available, but only a limited number of ships are seeking to transit given safety concerns and the steep premiums, which can reach about $5 million on a $100 million tanker.
- Washington has announced a $20 billion reinsurance program via the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to help revive shipping through Hormuz, with insurers expressing interest in partnering.
- The UK Maritime Trade Operations Center reports at least 20 security incidents in and around the Persian Gulf since March 1, including a March 12 strike on a container ship that caused a fire.
- Separately, South Korean regulators disclosed 1.69 trillion won in marine insurance exposure across domestic insurers and reinsurers and convened contingency talks to guard against potential liquidity strains.