US Gulf Coast Tanker Availability Drops as Asia, Europe Seek to Replace Middle East Supply
Oil tanker availability along the U.S. Gulf Coast has dropped sharply in recent weeks, as Asian and European refiners cut off from Middle Eastern supply have been snapping up vessels to import oil and fuel from the United States, shipping analysts and traders said.The Iran war has stalled tanker movements through the Strait of Hormuz, curbing the flow of Middle Eastern oil to Asia and Europe, and prompting refiners there to buy replacement barrels from the United States, Brazil and West Africa.Wider discounts on U.S.
Xeneta Weekly Ocean Container Shipping Market Update: February 27, 2026
Peter Sand, Xeneta Chief Analyst:“The recent tariff ruling by the US Supreme Court will have knock-on impacts for ocean container shipping, but this will be nuanced and unlikely to cause a huge increase in frontloading demand, even though tariffs on some Chinese manufactured goods are lower today than a week ago.“The court ruling and political fallout actually increase uncertainty for many shippers. The TPM industry conference taking place in Long Beach next week is traditionally when long term freight contracts are negotiated…
Port of Los Angeles Reports Busiest Month Ever
July was the busiest month on record in the 117-year history of the Port of Los Angeles. The Port handled 1,019,837 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), 8.5% more than last July. Retailers and manufacturers brought in goods at an elevated pace due to concerns of higher tariffs later this year.“Shippers have been frontloading their cargo for months to get ahead of tariffs and recent activity at America’s top port really tells that story,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka.
