US trader Koch Industries has taken one new VLCC from AMCL, the Hong Kong-based tanker arm of Chinese state-owned China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES), and may have taken up to two more.
The deal comes as charterers are eager to lock in tonnage but owners are holding back from long-term commitments in the hopes that rocketing spot rates will push up levels for period deals, especially for younger, low-consumption ships.
