Europe shifts methanol imports as Strait of Hormuz closure disrupts Middle East supply

The ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz has recalibrated Europe's import flows as constrained Middle Eastern capacity was supplemented by additional volumes from Norway and Azerbaijan.

In May 2026, Europe received approximately 434,932 metric tons of material from outside of the EU, 32.3% of which came from Trinidad and Tobago, 21.7% from the US and 21% from Egypt, according to the latest Eurostat data.

While Europe's top three importers remained unchanged, volumes from the US and Trinidad fell 14.2% and 8.6%, respectively, during January-May 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. This might have been partly the result of some Atlantic volumes diverted to destinations such as India, where the US had emerged as a new supplier in May, exporting a total 10,220 mt amid favorable arbitrage opportunities.

US exports to Brazil also increased 190% during the first half of 2026 compared with H1 2025, according to data released Aug. 6 by the US International Trade Commission, potentially pulling some volumes from the European market.

In addition, Europe saw decreases of 76.4% and 92.7% in imports from Saudi Arabia and Oman, respectively, following supply disruption linked to the US-Iran war.

As a result, total EU methanol imports during the first five months of the year were down 13.8% year over year.

Nevertheless, import volumes from Norway increased 51.7% and Azerbaijani flows grew 61.5%, while some smaller suppliers, including Equatorial Guinea and China, showed modest increases.