# Chartering an oil tanker from the US to China now costs more than a space launch

https://mins.news/en/item/93658

- TASS, 2026-10-09 18:10 UTC
- Economy
- Original: https://tass.com/world/2200017

> Chartering a tanker to ship oil from the US to China now costs about $80 million, Bloomberg reported—$6 million more than a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch. The agency attributed the high price to a global tanker shortage linked to worsening conditions in the Strait of Hormuz. Middle Eastern oil companies are using shuttle-style ship-to-ship transfers, adding about a week to each voyage.

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