Westbound Tanker Markets Strengthening

Westbound tanker markets from the Middle East are strengthening while eastern charterers take a break, brokers said. Mideast-U.S. Gulf rates are running at about W80-85 ($17.50 per ton) for VLCC liftings and from West Africa about W90 ($9.25) - up a couple of Worldscale points on last week. But rates to Far East have eased back to the mid W90s ($10.75 to Japan) after climbing past W100 last week.