Asian countries most vulnerable to Strait of Hormuz blockade

Around 84% of oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz is destined for Asia, leaving the economies of China, India, South Korea and others vulnerable should Iran blockade the crucial trading route over US strikes on its nuclear sites.

- 

Around 14.2 million barrels of crude oil and 5.9 million barrels of other petroleum products pass through the strait per day -- representing around 20% of global production in the first quarter, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).

And crude oil from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and Iran almost exclusively passes through the corridor.

Here are the main Asian countries where oil exported via the strait is destined:

China - More than half of the oil imported by East Asia passes through the Strait of Hormuz, experts estimate.

China is one of the largest buyers, importing 5.4 million barrels of crude oil a day through Hormuz in the first quarter this year, according to the EIA.

Saudi Arabia is China's second-largest supplier of crude oil, accounting for 15% of its total oil imports -- 1.6 million barrels a day.

China also buys more than 90% of Iran's oil exports, according to the analysis firm Kpler.

It imported 1.3 million barrels of Iranian crude oil a day in April, down from a five-month high in March.

India - India is highly dependent on the Strait of Hormuz, importing 2.1 million barrels of crude a day through the corridor in the first quarter, EIA data shows.