One-third of Aframax fleet now blacklisted as sanctions expand

US targets Russian oil majors, prompting shifts in trade flows Roughly one-third of the global Aframax fleet has now been blacklisted as the shadow-sanctioned fleet continues to expand, according to new data from Clarksons. Western nations have added nearly 500 oil tankers to their sanctioned vessel lists so far this year, bringing the total to […]

Trade talks offers hope for US-China relationship and global economy

Optimism for the maritime industry following Trump and Xi’s meeting Last week, China and the US reached an initial consensus on several key trade issues following two days of high-level talks in Kuala Lumpur. The discussions were described as “constructive” and covered a broad range of topics, measures targeting China’s maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors, […]

Tanker rates surge as geopolitical factors remain crucial throughout the market

Port fees and sanctions loom large; tanker rates still soaring Tanker: Continued strength, positive forward outlookThe tanker market reflects a positive outlook, with strong rates across VLCC, Suezmax and Aframax segments following a slow start to last week. The Aframax market had a very strong week with an overall increase of 13%. Long haul cargoes […]