Seatrade Maritime News: Brokers paint positive picture for VLCCs

In their latest market reports, New York-based Poten & Partners and London’s Gibson Shipbrokers outline factors that could strengthen the VLCC market in the future. On the one hand, Poten explains why the shifting backdrop of Iranian oil sanctions could affect crude oil trade; on the other, Gibson points to possible increases in US oil exports under President Trump’s Administrations.

Poten notes the growing influence of the US Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) which monitors ships that carry oil cargoes between certain countries, including oil exports from producers Russia and Iran. Since the beginning of 2024, OFAC has steadily added tankers to the sanctions list for both countries, Poten notes, thereby reducing the pool of non-sanctioned dark vessels.

To read the full article, click here.