# UNCTAD: Tanker freight rates and bunker costs surge amid Hormuz disruptions

> UNCTAD reports that tanker freight rates have risen sharply since the Middle East conflict began on February 28, 2026, with the Baltic Dirty Tanker Index at 371 by October 19 against a baseline of 100. VLCC earnings on the Middle East–China route rose about 25-fold between January and mid-October, and rates on other long-haul routes also climbed. Longer voyages and ship-to-ship transfers are tightening vessel availability.

- Date: 2026-11-04 · published 2026-11-04T06:12:27.622Z
- Category: logistics · region Global · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/79258-unctad-tanker-freight-rates-and-bunker-costs-surge-amid-hormuz-disruptions
- Commodities: [Crude Oil (Brent)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BRENT.md), [ULSD / Diesel](https://feedsoft.ai/c/DIESEL.md)

## Why it matters

Higher tanker and bunker costs add to fuel and freight expenses along the feed supply chain and reinforce elevated crude and diesel prices, which raises input and transport costs for feed producers.

## Read by commodity

- BRENT: bullish ▲
- DIESEL: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| BRENT | 2025-12-14 | [Global shipping rates surge to multi-year highs, raising costs for oil, LNG](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16900-global-shipping-rates-surge-to-multi-year-highs-raising-costs-for-oil-lng.md) | -1.1% | +8.0% |
| BRENT | 2022-03-18 | [Ocean Freight Rates Highest Since Nov. – AgFax - Supply Chain Council of European Union \| Scceu.org](https://feedsoft.ai/events/42191-ocean-freight-rates-highest-since-nov-agfax-supply-chain-council-of-european.md) | +10.4% | +1.1% |
| BRENT | 2018-12-27 | [Only a temporary calm - DHL Freight Connections](https://feedsoft.ai/events/61739-only-a-temporary-calm-dhl-freight-connections.md) | +2.6% | +14.9% |
| BRENT | 2026-08-23 | [Unprecedented! Geopolitical conflicts combined with climate drought push freight rates on global core shipping lanes up across the board. \| World Ports Organization](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16774-unprecedented-geopolitical-conflicts-combined-with-climate-drought-push-freight.md) | -6.2% | +23.0% |
| BRENT | 2022-03-23 | [Oil jumps 5% as Caspian pipeline disruption adds to supply fears \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/8484-oil-jumps-5-as-caspian-pipeline-disruption-adds-to-supply-fears-reuters.md) | -5.9% | -10.6% |
| DIESEL | 2026-10-22 | [Record diesel costs push grain freight rates higher across all modes \| Feed & Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/17227-record-diesel-costs-push-grain-freight-rates-higher-across-all-modes-feed-and.md) | -5.5% | — |
| DIESEL | 2017-09-01 | [Inter Continent Trading: Tankers: Persian Gulf vs Red Sea freight premium disappears as Harvey disrupts trade](https://feedsoft.ai/events/68843-inter-continent-trading-tankers-persian-gulf-vs-red-sea-freight-premium.md) | -0.2% | +1.5% |
| DIESEL | 2021-07-11 | [Fuel costs push rates higher faster in 2021 - FreightWaves](https://feedsoft.ai/events/46244-fuel-costs-push-rates-higher-faster-in-2021-freightwaves.md) | -2.1% | -3.4% |

## Sources

- worldports.org: https://www.worldports.org/unctad-tanker-freight-rates-and-bunker-costs-surge-amid-hormuz-disruptions/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.