VLCC markets softened through the week, sources indicated on 6 November 2026.
Affinity Research LLP told reports that very limited enquiry and increasingly competitive Suezmax alternatives lay behind the move in the very large crude carrier sector. The weekly note dated 6 November 2026 described a clear shift in chartering dynamics that applied pressure to owners.
The report singled out restrained enquiry as a principal factor. With fewer fresh cargoes emerging for the largest tankers, owners faced growing difficulty in pushing for higher charter levels during the period covered by the bulletin.
Affinity’s summary also highlighted the role of Suezmax tonnage. As Suezmax options became comparatively more competitive, charterers found an alternative to fixeding the larger VLCC units, a development that further softened demand for the biggest class.
The combination of scant enquiry and attractive alternatives reduced owners’ bargaining leverage. The weekly noted that this adjustment had material consequences for fixture activity and owners’ near‑term commercial choices.
For the tanker market this week, the immediate effect was a move towards a gentler tone. The report implied that charterers benefitted from increased leverage as vessel size options widened and enquiry volumes remained subdued.
Short‑term market dynamics
Affinity Research LLP’s 6 November note framed the week as one of comparative lull for the VLCC segment, with limited cargo enquiry the prevailing theme. The presence of competitive Suezmax capacity was flagged as a tangible substitute for voyages that might otherwise have gone to very large crude carriers.
Taken together, those factors made the commercial environment more contestable. Owners and charterers were depicted as recalibrating activity in response to the changed balance between available tonnage and cargoes reported during the week.
Outlook and immediate implications
The weekly did not set out firm forecasts but presented a near‑term picture in which VLCC owners contend with constrained enquiry and the pricing pressure that accompanies viable smaller alternatives. The account leaves the market’s direction dependent on subsequent cargo flows and any shift in the relative economics of employing Suezmax versus VLCC tonnage.
reports’s publication of the Affinity Tanker Weekly for 6 November 2026 places the current softening in that specific week under a clear market lens. The note supplies a snapshot of conditions that market participants will watch for signs of reversal or consolidation in the weeks ahead.