The very large crude carrier (VLCC) freight market continues to generate extraordinary returns, with Baltic assessments for the key TD3C Middle East Gulf–China route showing daily earnings above USD 647,000. At the same time, sharp corrections on certain Atlantic routes underline the high volatility of tanker spot and time charter rates.
Recent tanker market reports indicate that VLCCs remain exceptionally profitable, with the TD3C route (270,000 mt of crude from the Middle East Gulf to China) assessed at around Worldscale 623. This corresponds to a calculated round-trip time charter equivalent of just over USD 647,000 per day for a standard Baltic-described VLCC. On the TD34 Gulf of Oman–China route, rates near WS 232.5 translate into daily earnings exceeding USD 219,400, underlining sustained strength in long-haul eastbound crude flows. By contrast, in the Atlantic basin charterers have managed to regain control on some routes: for example, 70,000 mt voyages from East Coast Mexico and Covenas to the US Gulf saw rates crash by roughly 160–180 WS points, pulling daily TCEs down toward USD 37–40,000 per day.
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