VLCC spot rates jumped for the second day in a row in the Middle East Wednesday as chartering giant Unipec picked up an Ocean Tankers vessel at a rate that was more than 20% higher than last-done.

Data from Tankers International show that the Chinese chartering giant fixed the 318,000-dwt Tai San (built 2009) for WorldScale 53 for a trip from the Middle East to China.

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