Fears over a potential tsunami of crude tanker tonnage hitting the fleet this year could be overstated, according to a top US shipbroker.

“Based on the delivery schedule of the current orderbook, deliveries of new tankers in 2017 will be at the highest level since 2009,” says Poten & Partners.

The US shipbroker says suezmaxes stand out as one of the worst sectors in the crude tanker segment in terms of scheduled delivceries.

“If