Kuwait declares force majeure on oil and products shipments

KUWAIT CITY, April 21, 2026 – Kuwait has declared force majeure on crude oil and refined product shipments amid the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Bloomberg reported on Monday

According to a document obtained by Bloomberg, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) notified customers on Friday that it was invoking the clause, which is intended to relieve parties from fulfilling their contractual obligations when under extraordinary circumstances.

In a trade notice seen by Reuters, KPC said it declared force majeure in response to continued attacks on Kuwait, explicit threats by Iran against ships sailing the Strait of Hormuz and the “almost total absence” of vessels in the Gulf available to transport crude and products.

Although current conditions impede Kuwait from making deliveries to customers who cannot sail vessels into the Gulf, supplies are not expected to come to a complete stop, according to an unnamed source with knowledge of the matter contacted by Bloomberg.

KPC declined to comment.

KPC’s move takes place amid a near-standstill in Strait of Hormuz traffic as a result of the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has forced reductions in the production of oil, gas and refined products in countries in the region.

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