Maritime Cargo Chronicles – January 10, 2026 The VLCC spot market for the key Middle East Gulf (including Oman) to China route (TD3C benchmark) remains volatile but firm into early 2026, supported by sustained long-haul demand, Chinese winter stockpiling, and constrained compliant tanker supply. Current Rates (as of early January 2026) : Spot TCE (Time Charter Equivalent) on AG-China: $80,000–$90,000 per day (down from December peaks of $100,000+ but still historically stro