“Books Will Be Written” About This Shipping Market | Ed Finley-Richardson of Misadventures in Shipping on War-Induced Oil Tanker Mayhem, Squeeze for Asiabound Refined Products, and Persian Gulf “Feeding Frenzy” Scenario

The podcast explores the disruption and increased costs in the shipping industry resulting from Middle East conflict and the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Ed Finley-Richardson, shipping industry expert and author of the "Misadventures in Shipping" sub-stack, explains how the closure traps vessels, reduces supply, and forces Far East consumers to source commodities from distant locations like the US Gulf, leading to voyage inefficiencies and higher prices. He notes that while events like the Houthi attacks on Saudi oil fields caused short-lived price spikes, the current disruptions are persistent, similar to the impact of Europe forsaking Russian energy imports. Finley-Richardson highlights the unusual situation of smaller vessels earning the most, with US Gulf product exports experiencing extreme moves, and pinpoints MR tankers in the US Gulf as currently the most profitable assets.