While the IMO 2020 regulations bode well for the product tanker market, other factors can come into play, which can have a negative impact. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Gibson said that “the US product export market has been transformed over the past decade. Exports of clean petroleum products (CPP) averaged 2.5 million b/d last year, up from just 0.8 million b/d in 2008. Rising trade has been underpinned by rapid growth in US crude production and refiners’ access to cheaper crude feedstock. Refining margins in the US Gulf have generally been stronger in recent years, compared to those seen in other regional markets”.