Oil tanker freight rates surged to unprecedented levels in September.
Oil tanker freight rates surged to unprecedented levels in September 2026, amid rising security and insurance risks, disruptions to maritime traffic, and a decline in the number of vessels willing to operate on certain routes.
The time charter equivalent (TCE) earnings on the benchmark TD3C route, which carries 270,000 tons of crude from the Arabian Gulf to China, reached about $1.21 million per day in the Baltic Exchange assessment at the end of the week ended Sept. 18, compared with significantly lower levels before the disruptions escalated.
This figure represents an equivalent return calculated for a standard voyage and does not necessarily reflect the direct cost of chartering a specific tanker.
Oil tanker freight rates surged to unprecedented levels in September.
Oil tanker freight rates surged to unprecedented levels in September 2026, amid rising security and insurance risks, disruptions to maritime traffic, and a decline in the number of vessels willing to operate on certain routes.
The time charter equivalent (TCE) earnings on the benchmark TD3C route, which carries 270,000 tons of crude from the Arabian Gulf to China, reached about $1.21 million per day in the Baltic Exchange assessment at the end of the week ended Sept. 18, compared with significantly lower levels before the disruptions escalated.
This figure represents an equivalent return calculated for a standard voyage and does not necessarily reflect the direct cost of chartering a specific tanker.
