Tanker owners' group INTERTANKO warns US plan to clear sanctioned tankers leaves safety risks unresolved

INTERTANKO, the tanker owners' association, has warned that clearing sanctioned tankers for legitimate trade would not fix their condition, ownership or insurance, Splash247 reported on 20 October. The group said policy should instead steer cargoes towards the compliant fleet, citing opaque insurance, weak oversight and missing inspection histories as risks to crews, the environment and coastal states. Analysts quoted by Splash247 expect little relief from the US plan: Braemar puts the potential gain at 19 VLCCs and Arrow Research at no more than 22 tankers of all sizes. BRS counts 148 deep-sea tankers sanctioned by the US alone, only 14 of which appear to have been idle for over three months, and expects no significant immediate effect on freight rates.

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