Trafigura, a large global shipping company, signs its first vlcc order

One of the world's largest chartering companies, Trafigura, is signing a contract to build its first batch of ultra large oil tankers to address the market problem of modern super tanker tonnage shortages.

This global commodity trader headquartered in Singapore has signed a contract with Jiangsu Xinhantong Shipbuilding Heavy Industry in China to build two 319000 deadweight ton crude oil transport ships, which will be delivered in July and September 2026, respectively.

The order to install scrubbers also marks the entry of Jiangsu Xinhantong into the VLCC shipbuilding industry, which is also the largest deadweight ship to date, surpassing the 209000 deadweight newcastlemax bulk carrier built for Olderff Carriers in 2021.

As one of the industries with the fewest orders among all industries, only a few ultra large oil tankers have been delivered this year and next year. Many well-known shipowners, including Fredriksen, Marinakis, Troim, and the Savills family, are rushing to purchase available new shipbuilding quotas.