VLCC market adapts as Hormuz closure reshapes global crude flows
AI Summary
The VLCC shipping market underwent significant adjustments following the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a pivotal chokepoint in global crude oil flows. Freight dynamics in Q2 2026 reflect historical shifts driven by this disruption, impacting tanker movements and international energy logistics.
Mette Frederiksen, head of research and insight at Tankers International, writes for Splash on an eventful, historic Q2 for VLCCs. The second quarter of 2026 will be remembered less for freight cycles than for the event that overshadowed them all: the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The world’s most consequential oil chokepoint remained …