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Sanctioned Russia-Trading Tankers Find Refuge in Duqm, Oman

20 November 2025 Windward Six sanctioned Russia-trading tankers are signaling that they are berthed at the Oman port of Duqm, amid an escalation in deceptive shipping practices in the area as key buyers in India and China pause or review oil purchases. The tankers, all part of Russia’s sanctions-evading shadow fleet , are broadcasting Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals placing them at berths in Duqm, with five arriving between October 27 and November 11. They

2 days ago2 min read

Is the dirty tanker rally coming to an end?

20 November 2025 Vortexa The dirty tanker market continues to ride strong momentum, supported by a surge in oil on water , a divergence between laden and ballast speeds , and an uptick in long-haul voyages heading East. At the forefront of this strength are the VLCCs, which remain the clear leaders in the current market rally. VLCC utilisation now stands at around 57% — the highest level since 2020, when the price shock triggered a floating storage boom. Employment has be

2 days ago2 min read

Chinese Exports Down 1.1% in October

20 November 2025 Trade Data Monitor The Chinese export juggernaut finally started to show the impact of protectionism and weaker Western consumer markets in October. A week after Presidents Trump and Xi settled a new trade deal that cut tariffs and put off their trade war for a year, China reported a 1.1% year-on-year drop in exports to $305.3 billion. To be sure, this is only one month. China has shown resiliency thus far in 2025, finding other markets as Washington puts up

2 days ago2 min read

Beyond Tariffs: The Strategic Reset in U.S.–South Korea Trade

06 November 2025 VIZION The October 2025 U.S.–South Korea trade agreement marks a turning point in bilateral economic strategy. What began as tariff negotiations has evolved into a $350 billion industrial investment pact designed to stabilize foreign exchange markets, strengthen strategic industries, and align both economies across technology, shipbuilding, and defense supply chains. A Deal Built on Stability and Strategy Phased $350 Billion Investment Framework The agreeme

Nov 62 min read

In an oversupplied oil market, who backs off first?

06 November 2025 Vortexa Global seaborne crude exports remain at seasonally high levels in October despite a comedown from September levels, when global exports crossed ~45mbd. But who is putting these barrels out on water and -- in an oversupplied market -- who will be the first to tap out? As far as supply is concerned, OPEC-8 seaborne exports have been ramping up significantly over the past two months, while on the non-OPEC side, it is the Americas that have seen strong

Nov 62 min read

The BIG Deal

06 November 2025 POTEN & PARTNERS, a division of BGC Group What does the US-China trade deal mean for tankers? Over the last 8 months, we have written several Opinions about the U.S. port fees on Chinese owned and built ships. In February, when these fees were first proposed, we wrote ‘Chinese Shipping in The Crosshairs’; followed by several updates as the fees and exemptions were amended in reaction to public comments (e.g. ‘Make America Build Ships Again’) and most recent

Nov 62 min read

Tit for Tat

24 October 2025 E.A. Gibson Shipbrokers Ltd On October 14, both the US and China imposed prohibitively expensive port fees on tonnage linked to the other country. The USTR’s Section 301 measures were published and analysed well in advance. In contrast, China’s measures arrived with little notice; Beijing issued only a late-September warning that it would retaliate. China’s special port fees apply to any ship with clear US links calling at Chinese ports: vessels owned or op

Oct 242 min read

Why have most Iranian oil vessels turned their AIS signal back on?

24 October 2025 Kpler In a significant break from years of cloaked operations, Iranian crude tankers - including non-Iranian-flagged ships - are now transmitting AIS signals with rare consistency. Kpler’s latest tracking shows that only 14 out of 89 vessels carrying Iranian oil remained dark over the past 48 hours, reversing a longstanding evasion pattern. The timing of this shift is fuelling market speculation that sanctions relief is coming . It follows US President Dona

Oct 243 min read

China’s soybean imports pivot south

24 October 2025 Signal U.S. shipments vanish in September as South America fills the gap China’s soybean supply chain took a sharp turn south in September. No U.S.-origin soybeans were discharged at Chinese ports, the first zero month since 2018, as buyers leaned heavily on Brazil and Argentina. Signal Ocean cargo flow analytics confirm U.S. volumes collapsing while South American loadings surged, coinciding with a jump in CBOT soybean futures on renewed U.S.–China deal hop

Oct 242 min read