Sources indicated on 6 September 2026 that the tanker sector could see a rise in export flows moving from west to east after a large-scale deal between the United States and Venezuela.
The item, published under the headline Tankers: Export Flows Could Increase from West to East, summarised a weekly market note from shipbroker Gibson. Gibson highlighted an announcement by President Trump that the United States had reached an agreement concerning 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan crude.
Gibson’s weekly report, as cited by reports, said the arrangement could prompt a reallocation of export barrels and produce greater west-to-east flows in the coming years. The report framed the potential shift as consequential for tanker trade patterns without specifying timelines or precise volumes beyond the size of the agreement.
Directional trade effects
The central suggestion in the report is that the newly arranged Venezuelan volumes, now linked to the United States, may be redirected along routes described as west-to-east. reports presented this as a possible market development rather than a present fact.
Gibson’s commentary, reproduced in the report, noted the presidential announcement and connected the agreement to prospective changes in where barrels originate and where they are ultimately consumed. The broker characterised the likely outcome as a gradual evolution over the coming years.
Market observers cautious
The article made clear that the view on flow changes is a projection by market participants rather than a definitive outcome. Sources carried the broker’s assessment without adding its own forecasts.
If the suggested increase in west-to-east movements materialises, the report implies it would be part of a wider rebalancing triggered by the bilateral agreement on the 65 billion barrels. The source did not provide further operational details on cargo allocations, chartering activity or timeframes for implementation.
For now, the reports item and the Gibson weekly note are the primary available accounts linking the US–Venezuela arrangement to potential tanker-market consequences. The piece presents the prospect of altered export flows as a market scenario to watch as the situation develops.