gCaptain18 Sep 2026AI generated
Tanker and container earnings hit record levels as war, war-risk and Panama bottlenecks slow trade and raise costs.
- VLCC rate on the Saudi Arabia/Arabian Gulf-to-China route reached $1.10m per day on Sep 15
- Xeneta logged three carrier surcharge waves in six months: emergency fuel, inland/intermodal, peak season
- Drivers: US-Iran war, Russia-Ukraine war, Panama Canal El Niño water-mitigation measures
- Lloyd's List: tanker cycle "far beyond anything in the history of tankers"
Context
The global shipbuilding orderbook grew 27% year-on-year — fastest since before the Lehman collapse — as owners ordered tonnage against these same disruptions.
