Fresh US sanctions slapped on Venezuela’s PDVSA could play out well for the tanker market, experts have said.

In a move seen by some as a de facto ban on US imports of Venezuelan crude, the US treasury department has blocked US entities from trading with PDVSA.

Richard Matthews, head of research at Gibson Shipbrokers, said US refiners would be forced to source some crude from elsewhere at a time when supply is being constrained by Opec cuts.