The Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global oil shipments, remains under scrutiny as the July 15 deadline approaches for traffic to return to normal. The International Monetary Fund's Portwatch platform provides the official transit calls data that will be used to assess whether normal operations have resumed.
IMF Portwatch tracks vessel movements through the strait using satellite data and port records. Its publicly available charts and downloadable files offer a real-time window into shipping activity in the region.
The data set serves as the resolution source for the market measuring whether traffic normalizes by mid-July. Analysts watch Portwatch for changes in tanker and cargo ship counts as geopolitical tensions affect the passage.
As of late June, transit levels remain below pre-disruption benchmarks. Market participants are watching for sustained increases in daily vessel transits that would signal a return to routine operations.
The next key update will come from Portwatch itself, which refreshes its data regularly. Any sustained uptick in transit calls before the July 15 cutoff would mark a shift toward normal traffic conditions.
