VLCC Market Stabilizes as Rates Retreat

Holland & Knight attorneys, led by Richard Furey and Jovi Tenev, authored the USA chapter of the Lexology Panoramic: Ship Finance 2026 guide, outlining key legal and financing developments in the U.S. maritime sector.

Holland & Knight attorneys Sophia Agathis and Nicholas Kaasik co-author the introduction to the Lexology Panoramic: Ship Finance 2026 guide, offering key insights into the evolving global ship finance landscape.

Lion Shipbrokers says dry bulk secondhand prices are surging as stronger Panamax earnings and aggressive Chinese buying set fresh benchmarks, while subcontinent demolition markets remain largely flat.

Despite the Strait of Hormuz disruption and an energy crisis, orders for large tankers—particularly VLCCs—have surged, raising concerns about potential overcapacity in a segment already facing significant market uncertainty.

MB Shipbrokers reports a firm container market despite limited fixtures, with strong prompt tonnage demand, rising freight supporting owner leverage, steady midsize newbuilding interest, resilient secondhand values, and global container volumes up 5% in January-April 2026.

Global shipping bodies, including BIMCO and ICS, condemn escalating attacks on vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, where the IMO reports 46 incidents and 14 seafarer deaths since late February 2026.

MB Shipbrokers’ Tanker Weekly highlights softer oil prices on US-Iran deal optimism, shifting Atlantic-to-Pacific crude flows, mixed tanker earnings, and recent tanker sales and fixtures across VLCC, Suezmax, Aframax and product tanker segments.

MB Shipbrokers’ Dry Bulk Weekly reviews charter and FFA trends, period fixtures, forward rates, vessel values and sale-and-purchase activity, while highlighting ethanol’s growing role as marine fuel and its potential impact on corn exports and dry bulk demand.