Clarksons Research is forecasting overall 2020 tanker demand drops as the number of idle vessels reached the highest level since 2015.

Rates for crude and product carriers continued to soften in August, following sharp declines in June and July, as cargo counts remained low and Chinese port delays eased.

Idle crude tanker capacity constituted more than 7% of the fleet at the end of August, the highest level in almost five years.