Americas Aframax freight set to rise ahead of holiday rush after plunging 47%-56%
Abundant charterer inquiry in the Americas Aframax market left sources calling freight for the benchmark US Gulf Coast-UK Continent route higher at w47.5-w52.5 early Dec. 11, after a slew of fixtures set the stage for a long-expected rise in freight for both Upcoast and trans-Atlantic Aframax routes.
The market saw at least 15 Aframaxes booked Dec. 9-11 as charterers rushed to make the most of depressed freight rates after the market plunged back to near-yearly lows in the first half of December amid a build in tonnage over the Thanksgiving holiday.