Just two fixtures sent cross-Atlantic MR product tanker rates skyward on Wednesday.
Shipbroker Howe Robinson assessed the route from Continental Europe to the US East Coast route as hitting nearly $45,400 per day, a jump of $3,700 from the $41,700 per day on Tuesday.
“Rates jumped [Worldscale] 20 points in two fixtures today, with [transatlantic voyages] now on subs at WS 280 as owners seized the opportunity created by a tight position list at the front end and a surge of enquiry across these same dates,” the broker said.
“Still a number of stems uncovered as the differential for [West Africa] could be tested above 10 points, as an anticipated improvement in the [US Gulf Coast to Continental Europe] market for April means that heading [transatlantic] is a more appealing direction for owners than round-tripping to West Africa.”
Howe Robinson pegged the US Gulf Coast to Continental Europe route as earning $7,817 per day, down from $8,442 per day on Tuesday.
Overall, the Baltic Exchange's Clean Tanker Index climbed 30 points to 1,245 on Wednesday and has risen 136 points from last week.
There were improvements in both MR baskets, too.
The Baltic Exchange said its Atlantic basket jumped $1,357 to nearly $39,400 per day during a bumpy month that saw the basket earning $34,700 per day on 1 March before hitting a monthly high of $45,100 per day on 21 March.
The Pacific basket continued its upward trend, adding $2,757 to more than $38,100 per day on Thursday.
Rates on that assessment slipped through the first 10 days of March, falling to $26,100 per day before posting steady gains for the last 19 days.
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