Markets will continue to be challenging for product tankers before recovery occurs later this year, said Nasdaq-listed Pyxis Tankers in second-quarter earnings report.

Product tankers will “continue to experience challenging conditions until later this year” as new variants of the coronavirus add uncertainty to global economy, chief executive Valentios “Eddie” Valentis said in on Monday.

An already difficult chartering environment in the second quarter has become even more difficult after some long-range tankers switched from “severely depressed” crude trades into clean products.