TradeWinds: Will the US-China port fee pause help line VLCC owners’ pockets? Brokers are split

November 3, 2025 Brokers are split over whether the delay in the US-China port fee scuffle is good or bad for tankers, as rates continue to surge. On one hand, Poten & Partners tanker research head Erik Broekhuizen argues that the resumption of US Gulf-to-China oil shipments would be positive. Broekhuizen said: “The last VLCC voyage from the US Gulf to China discharged in April and, although there are some ships en route to the Far East, we are not aware of any that have been fixed with a Chinese destination. To read the full article, click here.