Buyers are returning to tankers they have inspected previously, as the flow of new candidates slows.

Eva Tzima, head analyst at Greece’s Seaborne Shipbrokers, said sale-and-purchase (S&P) activity will very likely not take a significant break during the Christmas holidays.

And she added: “Some buyers are now revisiting sale candidates they have looked at an earlier stage, as the injection of fresh tonnage, especially on the crude side, is not impressive.”