On the demand side, most of the tanker markets bore
the brunt of the weak global economic situation and
the performance of large oil consumers, namely the
OECD countries. Other contributing factors included
a less vigorous Chinese economy and a change in
the energy strategy of the United States, the world’s
largest consumer of petroleum. The United States
started increasing its oil production and decreasing its
imports accordingly (Barry Rogliano Salles, 2013).