LR2s are the ones making headlines, but product tankers across sizes are earning strong rates.
According to Clarksons’ Shipping Intelligence Weekly, the average clean product tanker is earning $52,140 per day.
“[That is] 60% above the 2023 average and within the top 1% of records stretching back to 1990,” the report said.
LR2s continue to lead the way, with Clarksons’ fleet weighted average coming in at $78,800 per day on Monday.
This is roughly flat from Friday but up 47.9% from last month, with the Middle East Gulf to Japan route leading the way at $87,700 per day.
LR1s have also shown strength, though Clarksons described last week as quiet and said some owners were considering ballasting towards the Middle East Gulf.
The shipbroker calculated the fleet weighted average as $52,800 per day, up 30.8% from last month and just under 2% week over week but down 1.3% from Friday.
MRs have been more mixed.
Clarksons said rates fell west of the Suez Canal but rose east of it.
It said ships in the west had few cargoes available and declining Russian volumes while the gains east would likely slide back as charterers look to claw back some growth.
There, the fleet weighted average was $40,400 per day.
But across routes, MRs were earning more than they did in 2023.
The highest-earning routes were from the Middle East Gulf to East Africa, which is fetching $54,284 per day as assessed by Clarksons versus a $31,900 per day 2023 average.
Just behind it is the South Korea to Singapore route at $51,708 per day, up from $43,717 per day.
Meanwhile, Jefferies has a scrubber-fitted, eco-designed MR earning $41,900 per day across the fleet, up from $36,200 per day a year ago.
An eco-designed MR without a scrubber was assessed at $40,400 per day, up from $34,200 per day a year ago, while a standard vessel was said to be earning $35,800 per day, up from $30,200 per day.
