Dirty Tankers · CommodityScope Indicative Freight Assessments · West of Suez
West Africa to US Atlantic Coast Dirty Tanker Freight Rates
The featured CommodityScope assessment is $95.89/mt for VLCC cargoes of 260,000 mt as of 17 September 2026, unchanged from the previous assessment. Separate Suezmax and VLCC assessments are shown below. The featured value is not a lane-wide average.
Featured assessment
Assessments by Vessel and Cargo Basis
Each row is a separate USD/mt assessment for its own vessel class and cargo basis. The featured series supplies the headline value and the computed summary and monthly statistics below; it is not an average of the assessments on this lane.
Changes compare consecutive available assessments of the same series. The 30D range shows the minimum and maximum of available USD/mt observations within the trailing 30 calendar days. Available history currently covers 13 assessment dates from 1 to 17 September 2026, rather than a complete 30-day record.
| Vessel / cargo basis | Assessment (USD/mt) | Change (USD/mt) | 30D observed range (USD/mt) | Assessment date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suezmax · 130,000 mt | 85.65 | +5.58 | 34.45–85.65 | 17 Sep 2026 |
| VLCC · 260,000 mtFeatured | 95.89 | 0.00 | 39.85–95.89 | 17 Sep 2026 |
What These Assessments Measure
CommodityScope publishes separate indicative spot freight assessments for dirty tanker cargoes from the West Africa loading area to US Atlantic Coast.
Vessel class and cargo bases are listed in the table above. Each is a distinct series; the featured assessment is not a lane-wide average.
Each assessment represents CommodityScope's estimate of the freight market level for its stated basis on the assessment date. It is not a vessel-specific offer, confirmed fixture or agreed charter-party rate.
Assessment Basis
- Loading area: West Africa
- Discharge area: US Atlantic Coast
- Vessel classes: Suezmax, VLCC
- Cargo bases: 130,000 mt; 260,000 mt
- Primary assessment unit: USD/mt
- Assessment type:
- CommodityScope Indicative Assessment
- Methodology:
- CommodityScope Market Assessment Methodology
Contract-Specific Terms Not Specified
- Named vessel and charterer
- Shipment-specific laycan
- Agreed loading and discharge terms
- Contractual demurrage terms
These assessments do not establish the terms of a particular fixture. Terms not included in the stated assessment basis are not inferred. Separate demurrage indicators are available on the tanker demurrage page.
Units and Assessment Frequency
- USD/mt of cargo is the assessment unit for every freight series on this page.
- These are daily assessment series. Changes compare consecutive available assessments of the same series; the interval may span more than one calendar day.
CommodityScope Assessment History
Latest 13 assessment dates, with a separate column for each vessel and cargo basis. All values are shown in USD/mt. Dates without available assessments are omitted. Series histories are not combined or averaged across vessel classes or cargo bases.
| Date | Suezmax · 130,000 mt | VLCC · 260,000 mt |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Sep 2026 | 85.65 | 95.89 |
| 16 Sep 2026 | 80.07 | 95.89 |
| 15 Sep 2026 | 83.32 | 95.89 |
| 14 Sep 2026 | 85.19 | 90.31 |
| 11 Sep 2026 | 85.19 | 81.93 |
| 10 Sep 2026 | 61.45 | 69.83 |
| 9 Sep 2026 | 47.95 | 49.99 |
| 8 Sep 2026 | 47.48 | 49.34 |
| 7 Sep 2026 | 47.02 | 47.48 |
| 4 Sep 2026 | 44.69 | 46.08 |
| 3 Sep 2026 | 38.17 | 45.62 |
| 2 Sep 2026 | 35.38 | 41.24 |
| 1 Sep 2026 | 34.45 | 39.85 |
Computed Summary — VLCC · 260,000 mt
Calculated by CommodityScope from the USD/mt observations of VLCC · 260,000 mt only. These statistics do not combine Suezmax and VLCC assessments. Each statistic states its observation period and calculation method.
The latest assessment of $95.89/mt on 17 September 2026 is unchanged from the previous assessment of $95.89/mt on 16 September 2026.
Method: Absolute change equals the latest assessment minus the previous available assessment. Percentage change equals that difference divided by the previous assessment, multiplied by 100. The two observations are one calendar day apart.
Across the 13 available observations from 1 to 17 September 2026, the highest assessment was $95.89/mt on 15 September. The lowest was $39.85/mt on 1 September.
Method: Minimum and maximum of the available assessments within the stated period. These are extrema of the available history, not all-time market records.
No completed calendar month meeting the minimum of eight observations is available, so a comparison with a completed-month average is not shown.
Method: A completed-month comparison requires a finished calendar month with at least eight daily observations.
Monthly Statistics — VLCC · 260,000 mt (USD/mt)
Arithmetic average, minimum and maximum of the available daily USD/mt assessments for VLCC · 260,000 mt within each calendar month. Observation counts are shown. The current month is marked month to date and is not a completed-month result.
| Month | Average | Minimum | Maximum | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026Month to date | 65.33 | 39.85 | 95.89 | 13 |
Related Trade Lanes
Explore other freight markets. Compare cargo type, vessel class, cargo basis and assessment date before comparing displayed rates.
Same origin and destination, different cargo market: West Africa to US Atlantic Coast Clean Tanker Freight Rates · MR · 37,000 mt.
| Related lane | Available series / featured basis | Latest (USD/mt) | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Sea → US Atlantic Coast | 1 series · Suezmax · 135,000 mt | 84.23 | 17 Sep 2026 |
| Mediterranean → US Atlantic Coast | 2 series · featured Suezmax · 135,000 mt | 53.64 | 17 Sep 2026 |
| UK Continent → US Atlantic Coast | 2 series · featured Suezmax · 135,000 mt | 53.91 | 17 Sep 2026 |
| West Africa → East Coast India | 1 series · VLCC · 260,000 mt | 149.62 | 17 Sep 2026 |
| West Africa → Far East | 2 series · featured VLCC · 260,000 mt | 169.70 | 17 Sep 2026 |
| West Africa → Mediterranean | 1 series · Suezmax · 130,000 mt | 87.33 | 17 Sep 2026 |
| West Africa → South Africa | 1 series · Suezmax · 130,000 mt | 57.01 | 17 Sep 2026 |
| West Africa → UK Continent | 2 series · featured VLCC · 260,000 mt | 93.79 | 17 Sep 2026 |
How to Interpret These Assessments
CommodityScope freight assessments represent indicative spot market levels for the stated route, vessel class and cargo basis. They are not vessel offers or confirmed fixtures. Actual freight may differ by exact ports, vessel specification, laycan and charter-party terms.
Use for
Tracking freight trends and comparing matching vessel/cargo bases.
Not intended for
Confirming vessel availability or replacing a firm freight quotation.
Data details
Freight series identifiers for the assessments on this page:
- Suezmax · 130,000 mt
- CS-TFR-DRT-WAF-USAC-SUEZMAX-130
- VLCC · 260,000 mt
- CS-TFR-DRT-WAF-USAC-VLCC-260
CommodityScope Indicative Assessment. See the CommodityScope Market Assessment Methodology for assessment definitions and statistical methods. Demurrage indicators are on the tanker demurrage page.