Why are Asian oil buyers considering rerouting crude shipments away from the Red Sea, and what alternative routes are being discussed?

Asian oil buyers are considering rerouting crude shipments away from the Red Sea due to Houthi attacks on tankers, which have heightened risks at the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint. Alternatives under discussion include sourcing crude from Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Sidi Kerir instead of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea hub at Yanbu, or moving oil from Yanbu to Egypt’s Red Sea port of Ain Sokhna and then north via pipeline to the Mediterranean — with buyers potentially handling the Egyptian logistics themselves.

What are the logistical and temporal implications if Asian buyers shift from the Red Sea route to an Egypt-and-Africa reroute?

Rerouting cargoes originally planned for the shorter Red Sea–Bab el-Mandeb–Asia path to a route via Egypt and around South Africa would significantly lengthen voyages, adding up to a month to journey times, according to traders familiar with the talks.

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