Supertanker Rally Lures Investors as War Squeezes Vessel Supply

By Weilun Soon

Sep 24, 2026 (Bloomberg) –A supercharged rally in tanker earnings is attracting new investors to the global shipping industry, as the war in Iran points to how geopolitical crises can drastically curtail the supply of vessels.

Very large crude carriers, the workhorses of the tanker fleet, have seen average daily earnings spike nearly twenty-fold this year. The upheaval caused by the Middle East has spread to smaller tankers and other vessel types, offering owners the chance to command higher freight rates and values for their ships.

Financial investors are piling into the sector. An exchange-traded fund tracking freight