Cido Shipping and Union Maritime are among the big names helping drive product tanker newbuilding activity to a near two-decade high.

Contracting of new product tankers during the first seven months of 2024 has reached the second-highest level on record, Bimco explained.

Bimco chief shipping analyst Niels Rasmussen said: “During the first seven months of this year, 194 product tankers larger than 10,000-dwt have been contracted with a combined capacity of 13.3m