NAIROBI, Kenya — Africa’s supply chains are under fresh strain as the Strait of Hormuz crisis pushes up fuel, fertilizer and freight costs for import-dependent economies already exposed to global shocks, March 17, 2026. The pressure is building because the waterway is a key corridor for oil, gas and farm-input cargoes, and the latest disruption is moving quickly from shipping lanes into pump prices, fertilizer bills and household budgets across the continent.
UN Trade and Development warned this month that the Strait of Hormuz carries about a quarter of global seaborne oil trade as well as significant volumes of liquefied natural gas and fertilizers, meaning a prolonged disruption can quickly raise transport, insurance and food costs in vulnerable economies.
The market shock has been severe. Reuters reported that Middle East oil exports have dropped by at least 60% from February levels as traffic through Hormuz remains far below normal, forcing producers to cancel shipments, curb output and send crude and refined fuel prices sharply higher.
Why the Strait of Hormuz shock is hitting Africa so hard
Africa is especially exposed because many countries import petroleum products and farm inputs in dollars while already dealing with weak currencies, high debt burdens and limited fiscal room to cushion consumers. UNCTAD data cited by the Guardian show that 54% of Sudan’s fertilizer arrives by sea from the Middle East, along with 30% of Somalia’s and 26% of Kenya’s, while roughly one-third of seaborne fertilizer trade moves through Hormuz.
Shipping costs are rising before cargoes even reach African ports. Maersk has introduced a temporary emergency bunker surcharge because of fuel costs linked to the Hormuz disruption, a sign that containerized imports, industrial inputs and food shipments moving into African markets are likely to become more expensive if the crisis drags on.
Strait of Hormuz disruption threatens Africa’s farms as fertilizer costs jump
The fertilizer problem could prove just as damaging as the immediate energy shock. Reuters reported that fertilizer prices at the New Orleans import hub jumped from $516 a metric ton to as high as $683 within days of the escalation, underscoring how quickly supply fears can reprice the global market.
For African importers, that kind of move can translate into lower application rates, tighter planting margins and, eventually, smaller harvests. It also raises the risk of another round of food inflation just as many households are still recovering from earlier external shocks and governments are trying to contain subsidy bills.
Some governments are already trying to limit the fallout. Kenya has lined up petroleum imports through the end of April, Tanzania has moved to strengthen strategic reserves, Ethiopia has introduced a special fuel subsidy and Zambia has warned retailers against hoarding. Even so, those measures are likely to soften rather than eliminate the impact if shipping bottlenecks and high insurance costs persist.
This is not Africa’s first imported supply shock
The current crisis fits a pattern African policymakers know well. In January 2024, Reuters reported that Red Sea ship diversions were already lifting bunker demand and prices in Cape Town and Durban, showing how quickly geopolitical turmoil can reprice routes linked to Africa. In March 2023, Reuters reported that African smallholder farmers were struggling with high fertilizer prices. And in May 2022, Reuters linked the Ukraine war to a widening food and fertilizer shock across Africa, with Zimbabwean farmers already warning that costly inputs could hit future harvests.
That continuity matters because it shows the Strait of Hormuz crisis is not an isolated event. It is the latest reminder that Africa remains highly vulnerable to supply shocks created far beyond its borders. Unless traffic through Hormuz normalizes quickly, the continent is likely to face another stretch of costlier diesel, pricier fertilizer, delayed imports and tighter household budgets.
