Global tonne-mile demand took another beating in 2021 as tankers experienced their worst rates in decades.

Figures from US shipbroker Poten & Partners reveal a 5.3% drop in the key measure last year, compared with 2020, when the fall was 5.5% in the pandemic.

The numbers make it “abundantly clear” why the tanker market was in the doldrums in 2021, according to the company’s manager of marine research and consulting, Erik Broekhuizen.