Suezmaxes poised to hold their gains.

(From Lloyds List)

Byline: Sam Chambers in Hong Kong

'IN THE Arabian Gulf VLCCs have been dreadfully quiet in the past couple of weeks,' notes a broker. 'So it has been the aframaxes and suezmaxes that have shone.'

Indeed, the suez market seems very stable after a steady week with only a slight softening in rates out of West Africa, down to W160 from a high of W170 a week ago.

'The reasonable activity in the Mediterranean has held the shipowners up,' says a London broker, quoting rates varying from W200 to W230.

Likewise, the Black Sea has …