According to the Baltic Exchange’s Weekly Market Roundups published on April 14, 2023:
CLEAN
LR2
LR2s in the MEG this week have been balanced with a tip towards a softer dynamic. TC1 has shed five points to WS159.38 (a round trip TCE of $37,317 /day) and TC20 has had a $257,000 chunk taken out of it, the index currently sits at $3,971,429 with reports of $3,900,000 currently on subjects.
West of Suez, Mediterranean/East LR2s have been relatively sedate this week. Following an early week fixture at $3,550,000 the TC15 index is currently pegged at $3,537,500.
LR1
In the MEG, LR1 activity has been reportedly low this week. TC5 has shed 7.85 points to WS199.29 and a round trip TCE of $37,488/day. For a trip West, TC8 has dipped circa $150,000 to $3,725,000.
On the UK-Continent, TC16 has improved five points this week to WS175.71 with WS177.5 reported on subjects at time of writing.
MR
MEG MRs have been somewhat fragmented this week with a large influx of enquiry mid-week, including replacements, generating a directionless market. Subsequently the TC17 index has held around the low WS290s all week.
Up on the UK-Continent, activity levels saw a marked uptick this week. As a result The TC2 index has hopped up 35 points to WS250.56 and similarly the TC19 index has jumped 35.71 points to WS260.71.
Over in the Americas, a slower week has dropped the indices over there. TC14 losing 10.83 points to WSWS139.17, TC18 coming down 19.09 points to WS218.33 and a TC21 trip to the Caribbean coming off $135,000 to $826,000.
Handymax
Mediterranean Handymax vessels saw the TC6 index bottom out at WS218 from WS231 to then return to WS225 off the back of improved activity.
Up on the Continent the TC23 index similarly had a big lump (circa 50 points) taken out if it early in the week WS270,s down to WS220s to then return back to WS231.25.
VLCC
The VLCC market showed some optimism this week off the back of a thinner tonnage list, with the exception of the US Gulf to China route. 270,000mt Middle East Gulf to China market saw a 5.05 point improvement taking the index up to WS72.64, which shows an actual rise of about $6,200 per day with a TCE of $56,017 basis the Baltic Exchange’s vessel description. The rate for 280,000mt Middle East Gulf to US Gulf (via the cape/cape routing) is assessed at a similarly improved WS47.06 (+W2).
In the Atlantic markets the rate for 260,000mt West Africa/China followed the trend of the MEG seeing the index climb WS1.85 to WS96.95 (a round-trip TCE of about $52,721 per day, which is $1,700 per day improvement within a short, post easter, week). The TD22 run, 270,000mt US Gulf/China, is yet to feel the improvements from other regions and the index dipped $144,000 this week to $9,950,000 (a round-trip TCE of $47,159 per day).
Suezmax
The Suezmax market was somewhat fragmented this week and freight rates have slipped. The rate for 135,000mt CPC/Augusta eased an incremental 2.95 points to the WS157.61 mark (a round-trip TCE of about $78,434 per day). In West Africa, for the 130,000mt Nigeria/Rotterdam voyage, WS115 and WS112.5 were widely reported in the market and the index dropped 10.5 points to WS108.75 (a daily round trip TCE of $42,254, which is $7,476 per day less than a week ago). In the Middle East the rate for 140,000mt Basrah/Lavera dropped 2.57 points to WS63.06.
Aframax
In the North Sea market rates for the 80,000mt Hound Point/Wilhelmshaven route dropped about 3.75 points to the WS170 region (a round-trip daily TCE of $67,018). In the Mediterranean, the rate for 80,000mt Ceyhan/Lavera crumbled about 28 points to around the WS185 mark (a daily round trip TCE of $59,300). Across the Atlantic, freight for the stateside Aframax vessels has also taken a hit this week. The rate for 70,000mt East Coast Mexico/US Gulf shed around 25 points to WS132.19 (about $25,643 per day round-trip TCE), while the 70,000mt Covenas/US Gulf has fallen about 16.57 points to W129 (a daily round-trip TCE of $23,000). For the Transatlantic route of 70,000mt US Gulf/Rotterdam, rates were reduced by 13.12 points to WS138 (rendering a round trip TCE of $28,104 per day).
