GMS Week 33 – Tanks Fill, Talks Stall
The diplomacy went quiet this week, and the ships went quieter. Talks between Washington and Tehran on ending the war and reopening Hormuz remain deadlocked, with President Trump asserting that the US holds total control of the waterway while his administration prepares expanded sanctions and tighter blockade enforcement. Five months of strikes have not produced ...
Week 33 of the Global Maritime Situation (GMS) report reveals a stalemate in negotiations between the United States and Iran regarding the war and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump maintains that the U.S. controls the waterway, while the administration prepares stricter sanctions and blockade enforcement. Despite five months of strikes, no progress has been made. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and the UAE explore alternative export routes.
Vessels are reportedly turning off transponders while traversing the strait, giving rise to the term "invisibility." Oil prices surged for five consecutive days before experiencing a 2.5% decline on Thursday, leaving West Texas Intermediate (WTI) near USD 81.10 and Brent crude around USD 86.96, still 5% higher than the previous week.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has more than doubled its estimate of the global supply deficit for this quarter to 1.8 million barrels per day, with July supply 6.3 million barrels below the previous year. U.S. crude inventories surged by 17.4 million barrels, the largest weekly increase since January 2023, while Saudi output approached 7.4 million barrels per day.
The shortage is real, and its uneven distribution is apparent. Freight completed its fourth reversal in a week, with the Baltic Dry Index falling for four straight sessions to 2,844, its lowest since August 3, as Capesize fell 12% on the week to 4,469, including single-day drops of 5.8% and 5.2%. Panamax and Supramax also hit multi-week lows before stabilizing.
CPI data showed a mixed picture, with the U.S. at 3.4% for July and India at a 19-month high of 4.45%, led by food prices like onions (up 22.5%) and ginger (up 83.6%). Inflation remains a concern, with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) anticipating a peak in the fourth quarter and Morgan Stanley projecting 75 basis points of rate hikes from December.
The market divided along regional lines, with Chattogram's August 12 to 15 window closing, while Alang's August 9 to 18 arrival of FT Island (43,402 LDT) remained on hold. Tanker sentiment cooled in Alang, but aggressive demand for smaller tankers lifted quotes by about 4.5%. Gadani held stability, with secured candidates still in transit.
Turkey remained static, and the market is no longer waiting for peace, but instead pricing around the current situation. The GMS Market Rankings for Week 33 of 2026 are detailed in the source material.
Written by urgent.news from Hellenic Shipping News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.