ClarkSea Index Surges to All-Time High of $64,569 per Day on September 21, Surpassing 2007 Peak by 27 Percent as Tanker Earnings Drive Cross-Sector Shipping Boom

Clarksons' cross-sector ClarkSea Index climbed 14 percent on September 21 to $64,569 per day, establishing a new all-time high and surpassing the previous record of $50,714 per day set in December 2007 by 27 percent, according to data published by Splash247 on September 21. The index, which combines earnings from major merchant-shipping sectors using fleet-based weightings, is being propelled by record crude tanker earnings alongside what Clarksons described as exceptional or strong levels across VLGC, bulk carrier, containership, and car carrier markets. The latest reading puts the current market nearly three times above its 10-year average of approximately $20,366 per day, as calculated from Clarksons' 2025 full-year results presentation. The record is being driven heavily by exceptional tanker earnings resulting from Hormuz-related disruptions, longer voyage distances as cargoes route around chokepoints, and tight vessel availability as owners exploit the scarcity premium. The broader strength across dry bulk, container, LPG, and car carrier markets reflects overlapping factors including geopolitical disruption to trade patterns, supply-chain diversification driving longer hauls, and tight shipbuilding capacity constraining fleet growth even as demand holds firm. The index's climb above the 2007-2008 boom levels is significant because that earlier peak was driven by Chinese infrastructure demand and pre-financial-crisis trade volumes, whereas the current surge reflects a fundamentally different mix of geopolitical disruption, energy-security realignments, and structural capacity constraints. The ClarkSea record coincides with reporting from Splash247 and other maritime outlets that the transpacific container market is tightening on resilient cargo demand and carrier discipline, while Asia-Europe rates are softening, creating a historically wide gap between the two major container trades. For shipowners, charterers, and logistics planners, the index reading signa