Singapore’s low-sulfur marine fuel arbitrage arrivals from the West to drop further in April
Singapore’s low-sulfur marine fuel arbitrage arrivals from the West to drop further in April
in
International Shipping News
20/04/2026
Singapore’s low sulfur fuel oil arrivals from the Western markets are set to decrease for a third straight month in April, partly weighed down by unviable arbitrage economics due to persistently high freight rates, while the ongoing war in the Middle East continues to block oil inflows from the region.
Singapore, the world’s largest bunkering hub, is now expected to receive around 1.4 million-1.5 million metric tons of LSFO from the West in April, down from about 1.8 million-1.9 million mt in March, multiple Singapore-based traders told Platts, part of S&P Global Energy. The March volume bore the first brunt of disruption after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, which led Tehran to start blocking the Strait of Hormuz.
“April [arbitrage arrivals] are going to be lower.
MEPC 84: US flags ILUC blind spot in IMO’s biofuel assessment
MEPC 84: US flags ILUC blind spot in IMO’s biofuel assessment
in
International Shipping News
20/04/2026
The US urges the IMO to rethink how it assesses deforestation risk in crop-based marine biofuels.
The US has proposed a region-based approach to the IMO’s indirect land-use change (ILUC) risk assessment. It has submitted this proposal to the IMO’s Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 21) ahead of the group’s meeting next week.
ILUC refers to the forest or grassland clearing that occurs elsewhere when farmland is repurposed to grow biofuel crops.
The US argues the IMO’s 2024 Guidelines on lifecycle GHG intensity of marine fuels (2024 LCA Guidelines) contain a fundamental flaw in how they assess ILUC risk in crop-based biofuels.
The current guidelines assess ILUC risk only within the boundaries of a biofuel project.
This approach misses the mark because “ILUC emissions, by definition, occur outside of the project boundary.” Emissions beyond th
Xeneta Weekly Ocean Container Shipping Market Update: Spot Rates Are Easing
Xeneta Weekly Ocean Container Shipping Market Update: Spot Rates Are Easing
in
International Shipping News
20/04/2026
The ocean freight market is sending very different signals depending where you look across global supply chains. Spot rates on European trades are easing.
Xeneta analyst insight
Peter Sand, Xeneta Chief Analyst
“The ocean freight market is sending very different signals depending where you look across global supply chains. Spot rates on European trades are easing – Far East to North Europe is down around 4% over the past week, Mediterranean down nearly 5%.
IEA Head Pitches Iraq-Turkey Pipeline To Bypass Hormuz
A drone view shows the Zubair Oil Field in Basra, Iraq, April 6, 2026. REUTERS/Mohammed Aty
IEA Head Pitches Iraq-Turkey Pipeline To Bypass Hormuz
Bloomberg
Total Views: 16
April 19, 2026
By Selcan Hacaoglu
Apr 19, 2026 (Bloomberg) –International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol proposed building a new oil pipeline linking Iraq’s Basra oil fields and Turkey’s Mediterranean oil terminal in Ceyhan to shift the balance away from the
Strait of Hormuz
, according to Turkish newspaper Hürriyet.
“I believe a Basra–Ceyhan
pipeline could be extremely attractive
and a very important project for both Iraq and Turkey, as well as for regional supply security—especially from Europe’s perspective,” Birol said in an interview with Hürriyet, published on Sunday. “I also believe the financing issue can be overcome.
Bulker S&P Activity Remains Strong as Momentum Moderates
Bulker S&P Activity Remains Strong as Momentum Moderates
in
20/04/2026
The Bulker market has seen significant activity over the past 12 months. Using VesselsValue data, a Veson Nautical solution, we secondhand and newbuilding market trends, including S&P volumes, the most active buyers and sellers by value, and the highest-value vessel currently on order.
View the full infographic below for a complete breakdown of the data.
Sale and purchase activity gathers significant momentum
Bulker S&P activity gathered significant momentum through 2025, with both vessel count and vessel value rising steadily across the year. From 119 vessels and USD 1.9 bil in Q1, activity accelerated sharply into Q2 (314 vessels, USD 5.2 bil) and continued climbing through Q3 (350 vessels, USD 7 bil) before peaking in Q4 at 365 vessels at USD 7.8 bil.
Tanker Market: All Eyes on Hormuz Strait
Tanker Market: All Eyes on Hormuz Strait
in
Hellenic Shipping News
20/04/2026
T
he resumption of crude oil flows and ships from the Strait of Hormuz is the catalyst of any future move in the tanker market, as oil supply is currently being restricted. Meanwhile, just as things started looking rosier by Friday afternoon, Saturday proved to be a different case, with IRGC closing the Strait once again, as long as the US Naval blockade continues. As a result, dozens of ships were forced to turn back, while there were reports of firings against at least two vessels.
In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Gibson said that “given the importance of Middle East Gulf trade flows, everything else pales in comparison.
US Seizes Iranian Cargo Ship, Tehran Vows To Retaliate
A view of Iranian-flagged cargo ship Touska as USS Spruance (DDG 111) conduts its interception in a location given as the north Arabian Sea, in this screen capture from a video released April 19, 2026. CENTCOM/Handout via REUTERS
US Seizes Iranian Cargo Ship, Tehran Vows To Retaliate
Reuters
Total Views: 0
April 19, 2026
By Daphne Psaledakis, Trevor Hunnicutt and Saad Sayeed
WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD, April 19 (Reuters) – The United States said on Sunday that it had seized an Iranian cargo ship that
tried to run its blockade
and Iran said it would retaliate, raising the possibility that the ceasefire between the two countries might not last for even the two days it is set to remain in force.
Efforts to build a more lasting peace in the region likewise appeared to be on shaky ground, as Iran said it would not participate in a second round of negotiations that the U.S. had hoped to kick off before the
ceasefire
expires on Tuesday.
A weeks-long
blockade of shipping
that has driven global oil p
Pemex Undersea Pipeline Found To Cause Gulf Oil Spill
A drone view shows a skimming boom deployed along the Rio Seco to collect oil after a spill from Pemex’s Olmeca refinery, which is recovering fossil fuels in strategic areas within or adjacent to the facility, in Puerto Ceiba, Tabasco state, Mexico, March 20, 2026. REUTERS/Luis Manuel Lopez
Pemex Undersea Pipeline Found To Cause Gulf Oil Spill
Bloomberg
Total Views: 0
April 19, 2026
By Scott Squires
Apr 19, 2026 (Bloomberg) –An
oil spill
in the Gulf of Mexico that soiled beaches, killed wildlife and sparked outrage from environmental groups was caused by a leaky pipeline owned by state oil company Petroleos Mexicanos, the company said.
A government investigation determined that an undersea pipeline near the Abkatun offshore platform was the cause of the leak,
Pemex
Chief Executive Officer Victor Rodriguez said at a press briefing on Thursday evening. Three employees were fired as a result of the accident, he added.
The amount of crude that spilled into the Gulf is still being determine
Hormuz Traffic at Standstill as US Vessel Seizure Widens Risk
A view of Iranian-flagged cargo ship Touska as USS Spruance (DDG 111) conduts its interception in a location given as the north Arabian Sea, in this screen capture from a video released April 19, 2026. CENTCOM/Handout via REUTERS
Hormuz Traffic at Standstill as US Vessel Seizure Widens Risk
Bloomberg
Total Views: 0
April 20, 2026
By Weilun Soon
Apr 20, 2026 (Bloomberg) –Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is at a virtual standstill on Monday after a brief and confused reopening over the weekend ended with the first US
seizure
of an Iranian vessel — underscoring just how difficult it will be to restore activity in the vital strait.
Transits through the waterway have reduced to a trickle over seven weeks of war in the Persian Gulf, as Iran tightens control in retaliation for US and Israeli strikes. On Friday, that paralysis appeared to be at an end as Iran and the US announced a reopening, prompting oil to plunge and vessels to rush for the crossing — only for the situation t
FX Daily: Looking for a new steady state for the dollar
FX Daily: Looking for a new steady state for the dollar
in
Daily Currencies Ratings
20/04/2026
USD: Searching for a new steady state
Friday’s headline from Iranian authorities that the Strait of Hormuz was ‘fully open’ gave us a vision of where the dollar could be trading were this crisis over. That equated to around the 97.50/98.00 area in DXY and just over 1.18 in EUR/USD. In our April release of FX Talking, we expect the dollar to stray not too far from those levels for the remainder of the quarter.
In terms of the immediate focus, the question is whether investors will receive further positive news on renewed peace talks in Pakistan, or whether both sides will talk tough and potentially act tougher ahead of tomorrow’s deadline on the two-week ceasefire.