Tanker Rate Relief Boosts U.S. Crude, For Now

A dip in tanker rates has improved the price outlook for U.S. crude this month, as it signals stronger demand. However, the relief may not last too long as most tanker market forecasts for the year still see rates much higher than they were in 2025. “The shipping markets are freeing up, and rates are tanking from the US to Asia, and the UK to Asia,” one analyst from financial services provider TP ICAP told Bloomberg this week, adding that the trend was boosting demand for U.S. crude oil. As a result, local U.S. benchmark prices have…