Activity on some routes was able to buoy parts of the product tanker market, but rates remain in the doldrums.
The Baltic Clean Tanker Index fell 40 points to 629 this week with lengthy tonnage lists reported in several areas.
Shipbroker Howe Robinson said 25 LR1s were fixed on the Middle East to Japan route this week, with plenty of tonnage still available as charterers look to cover mid-February, helping the route to rise $170 to just under $19,500 per day over the course of the week.
