Supertanker Rates Hit $800,000 a Day as Gulf Tensions Escalate
Supertanker rates on the Baltic Exchange's benchmark Middle East-to-China shipping route have surged to a staggering $800,000 a day. With US forces having destroyed five Iranian-linked tankers and Tehran threatening further escalation in recent days, prospects for near-term stabilization remain limited. The freight surge signals that crude oil and refined products continue to flow but are becoming increasingly costly to transport out of the Gulf region to global markets. According to Bloomberg, US Gulf-to-Asia shipments on very large crude carriers…