The VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier) market has firmed significantly this week, with freight rates pushing higher as prompt tonnage becomes increasingly scarce, according to the latest weekly tanker report from Affinity Research LLP, published via Hellenic Shipping News on 5 September 2026.

Very Large Crude Carriers are the largest crude oil tankers in operation, typically carrying around two million barrels of crude oil per voyage, and are a key barometer of seaborne oil trade, particularly on routes out of the Middle East Gulf. When prompt tonnage — vessels available for near-term loading — tightens, charterers typically face upward pressure on freight rates.

Freight rate movements on these routes are widely tracked as a real-time indicator of crude oil demand and trade flows, since higher rates often coincide with strong cargo programmes from exporting regions such as the Middle East Gulf, while softer rates typically accompany weaker loading demand. Because the Middle East Gulf to East Asia is the busiest VLCC trade lane, developments there tend to set the tone for the wider crude tanker market, including rates in the Atlantic basin.

The full weekly report from Affinity Research LLP is available as a PDF via Hellenic Shipping News: Affinity Tanker Weekly, 04.09.2026 (PDF).

Source: Affinity Research LLP, republished by Hellenic Shipping News.