​Maritimedata.ai is a single source of access to 200+ data services.

200+ Products

60+ Maritime Intelligence Providers

30+ Years of Experience

​Explore our catalogue​

Insights 📈

Oil & Gas 🛢️

• China maintains Arctic LNG 2 imports, despite UK sanctions (Link)
• Port Fees Postponed (Link)

Dry 🚢

• Weekly Agri Commodities Update (Link)
• Key Dry Bulk Data Trends: October 2025 (Link)
• October Major Bulk Radar (Link)

Other 🌎

• More LPG carriers are spoofing loadings in Russia. It’s not entirely clear why (Link)
• U.S. furniture retailers feel the sting of tariffs (Link)
• Sanctioned, Stateless, and Still Sailing (Link)

​

The BIG Deal - Poten & Partners​

What does the US-China trade deal mean for tankers?

Over the last 8 months, we have written several Opinions about the U.S. port fees on Chinese owned and built ships. In February, when these fees were first proposed, we wrote ‘Chinese Shipping in The Crosshairs’; followed by several updates as the fees and exemptions were amended in reaction to public comments (e.g. ‘Make America Build Ships Again’) and most recently earlier this month when China announced a similar structure against U.S. owned and built ships in ‘When the Ships Hit The Fan’. This week, the playing field changed again as negotiations between the U.S. and China have resulted in a one year truce in the trade disputes between the two countries.

The deal includes a suspension of the U.S. port fees and as a result also the suspension of the Chinese fees on U.S. owned and operated ships. While the full details of the deal have not been released yet, it includes the resumption of halted Chinese imports of soybeans, which caused significant hardship for U.S. farmers. More important to the tanker market, President Trump also mentioned that China will resume purchases of U.S energy and the potential of a large-scale energy transaction involving oil and gas from Alaska. It is unclear if this Alaska project would involve oil and gas exports, but it is believed that it relates to a potential new gas field. It is likely that China will also resume buying crude oil from the U.S. Gulf.

Both the port fees in the U.S. and the ones in China went into effect on October 14. The U.S port fees had been announced several months earlier, so owners could adjust for the upcoming changes. However, the Chinese port fees on U.S. owned and operated ships were announced only days prior to October 14 and likely caused U.S. listed owners some headaches in what to do with vessels that were heading to China.

There are reports of delays at Chinese ports which are likely caused by a combination of recently announced U.S. sanctions on some ports and possibly also due to the port fees on U.S. owners. Tanker voyage open market fixing took a break for a couple of days to digest the possible impact, but the market resumed thereafter. The main impact after Oct 14 was on Aframax and Suezmax rates (see chart 2), probably more due to a change in sentiment than pure supply-demand changes. While the suspension of these fees is very relevant for owners of targeted tonnage, the deferral will most likely only have a minor negative impact on the general freight market as the fees would have led to additional market fragmentation and inefficiencies. The fees would have been high enough to make ships owned by Chinese owners uncompetitive in U.S markets and U.S. owned shipsuncompetitive in Chinese markets, reducing the pool of available tonnage for charterers.

In an oversupplied oil market, who backs off first? - Vortexa​

Global seaborne crude exports remain at seasonally high levels in October despite a comedown from September levels, when global exports crossed ~45mbd. But who is putting these barrels out on water and -- in an oversupplied market -- who will be the first to tap out? As far as supply is concerned, OPEC-8 seaborne exports have been ramping up significantly over the past two months, while on the non-OPEC side, it is the Americas that have seen strong crude export growth over the past three months.

​

Russia remains the driver behind OPEC-8 exports

The coalition of eight OPEC+ members (OPEC-8) had announced a voluntary production cut in April 2023. Two years on, since April 2025, OPEC-8 have been gradually unwinding these cuts – around 2.9mbd of production cuts thus far. However, the amount of crude that has been put out on water remains below what was announced. It is only over the past two months that an increase in seaborne crude exports from OPEC-8 has been observed.

In September, their seaborne crude exports reached ~22mbd, a 7% increase m-o-m, which then decreased to ~21.6mbd in October, which is still strong compared to the rest of 2025. While the aggregate volumes do sound promising, most of this growth came from Russia which had to push crude barrels to export markets as drone strikes impacted their refining capacity and freed up these barrels. If we take Russia out of the equation, then the OPEC-8 (excl. Russia) seaborne crude exports will trend below the seasonal average, essentially negating any of the announced unwinding of cuts.

Beyond Tariffs: The Strategic Reset in U.S.–South Korea Trade - Vizion​

The October 2025 U.S.–South Korea trade agreement marks a turning point in bilateral economic strategy. What began as tariff negotiations has evolved into a $350 billion industrial investment pact designed to stabilize foreign exchange markets, strengthen strategic industries, and align both economies across technology, shipbuilding, and defense supply chains.

A Deal Built on Stability and Strategy Phased $350 Billion Investment Framework The agreement divides South Korea’s $350 billion commitment into two major components:

$200 billion in cash investments, paid in phased installments and capped at $20 billion per year. $150 billion in shipbuilding cooperation, combining guarantees, financing, and direct investment to strengthen U.S. shipyard capacity. The $20 billion annual cap was designed to protect South Korea’s currency stability. The Bank of Korea had recently noted that $20 billion per year was the upper limit Seoul could sustain without disrupting the onshore dollar–won market. This structure mirrors the U.S.–Japan framework agreed in September but includes stronger safeguards for South Korea’s domestic economy.

Corporate Commitments and Joint Projects

LS Group pledged $3 billion by 2030 to build U.S. power-grid infrastructure, including undersea cables. HD Hyundai and Cerberus Capital Management announced a $5 billion shipbuilding partnership to improve American shipyards and supply chains. The two governments also signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen cooperation in strategic technologies such as artificial intelligence and space exploration. Together, these measures frame the deal as a broader industrial partnership rather than a simple tariff adjustment.

TradeView Data: Immediate Market Response Overall Trade Lane Stability

Following three consecutive weeks of declines, total South Korea–U.S. bookings stabilized in late October as the deal was finalised. Week 44 saw a 1.8% increase in total TEUs, marking a clear floor for trade activity and signaling renewed market confidence.

Automotive Sector Adjustment (HS 87)

Bookings for vehicles and parts declined 18.9% in Week 44 as automakers adjusted inventory following months of uncertainty. The sector had faced steep tariffs earlier in 2025, but the new 15% rate provides a path to normalization. Analysts expect a rebound in bookings over the next several weeks as exporters realign production and logistics to the new tariff framework.

Technology Sector Acceleration (HS 85)

​

Bookings in electrical machinery and semiconductor-related goods jumped 31.3% during the deal week. This rapid acceleration reflects renewed confidence tied to the $200 billion high-tech investment component. Forward indicators suggest a sustained uplift as new manufacturing and supply partnerships take shape.

How we can help:

1. ​Submit your requirement - A member of the team will reach out within 24 hours
2. ​Book a call with the team - Explore which of our 200+ data and analytics solutions align with your needs
   ​

Thank you for your time.

Regards,

James Littlejohn

Co-Founder

Info@maritimedata.ai

+44 (0)208 050 9806

You might be receiving this email because we believe that the content of our newsletter may be of interest to you based on your profession. However, if we have made an incorrect assumption, we apologise for any inconvenience caused. If you do not wish to receive future publications, please follow the instructions below to unsubscribe.