SUBSCRIBER NOTE: Platts proposes to amend cargo sizes for Caribbean Suezmax assessments

S&P Global Platts proposes to change the cargo size reflected in several of its Americas Suezmax assessments, effective January 2, 2020, to better reflect the way freight in those markets is predominantly traded.

Platts has observed that there has been a shift to fixing on a larger cargo basis for Suezmax voyages loading in the Caribbean in recent years, as market participants look to maximize economies of scale on routes traded on a Worldscale basis and also to take advantage of recent port upgrades and draft capabilities.

Spot fixtures and freight indications for regional Suezmax voyages loading in the Caribbean are now typically negotiated on a 150,000 mt basis.

Platts proposes to change the cargo size basis for its Suezmax Caribbean-US Gulf Coast and Caribbean-US Atlantic Coast freight assessments to 150,000 mt, from the current 130,000 mt and its cross-Caribbean Suezmax assessment to 150,000 mt from 140,000 mt.

For trans-Atlantic voyages out of the Caribbean, Platts has observed that the market predominantly trades on a 145,000 mt basis.

Platts proposes to change the cargo size basis for its Suezmax Caribbean-UK Continent and Caribbean-Mediterranean freight assessments to 145,000 mt from 130,000 mt.

The proposed change would affect the following:

Assessment: Code: Caribbean-UK Continent cargo size PFAGVSZ Caribbean-UK Continent Worldscale PFAGV10 Caribbean-UK Continent $/mt TDAAU00

Caribbean-Mediterranean cargo size PFAGUSZ Caribbean-Mediterranean Worldscale PFAGU10 Caribbean-Mediterranean $/mt TDAAS00

Caribbean-US Atlantic Coast cargo size PFAOASZ Caribbean-US Atlantic Coast Worldscale PFAOA00 Caribbean-US Atlantic Coast $/mt TDAAW00

Caribbean-US Gulf Coast cargo size PFAOBSZ Caribbean-US Gulf Coast Worldscale PFAOB00 Caribbean-US Gulf Coast $/mt TDAAZ00

Caribbean-Caribbean cargo size TDCARSZ Caribbean-Caribbean Worldscale TDCCS00 Caribbean-Caribbean $/mt TDCAR00

These assessments appear on Platts Global Alert page 1972, on Platts Shipping Alert page 2440, in the Dirty Tankerwire and in the Platts price database under the codes above.

Please send any comments or questions by October 31 to shipping@spglobal.com and pricegroup@spgloal.com.

For written comments, please provide a clear indication if comments are not intended for publication by Platts for public viewing.

Platts will consider all comments received and will make comments not marked as confidential available to the public upon request