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Market note · 18 September 2026

WTO tracker: Hormuz fertiliser and LNG flows still stalled despite safe-route MoU

A WTO trade tracker indicates that fertiliser and LNG shipments transiting the Strait of Hormuz have not recovered, remaining close to zero even after a memorandum of understanding reached in June aimed at guaranteeing safe passage through the waterway.

The persistence of the standstill despite the MoU suggests that shippers and cargo owners continue to view the route as too risky, regardless of formal assurances, pointing to a gap between diplomatic agreements and on-the-water commercial confidence.

For fertiliser and gas markets, continued disruption at Hormuz keeps supply risk elevated for buyers dependent on Gulf-origin cargoes, potentially sustaining freight and insurance premiums and reinforcing incentives to secure alternative sourcing or routes.

What it meansBuyers reliant on Gulf fertiliser and LNG cargoes should expect continued supply uncertainty and elevated freight/insurance costs until actual shipping volumes through Hormuz recover, not just formal safe-passage agreements.

Related on gidex.com: the fertiliser desk · buying through the desk · the trading desk

Original note by GIDEX Group based on reporting by Fertilizer Daily. Written up by the GIDEX market desk — see how these notes are made. Not investment advice.

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