On Monday 9 February, the Baltic Exchange brought together more than 150 brokers, owners, operators and financiers for the annual Tanker and Gas Market Insights Forum, held in partnership with the FFA Brokers Association (FFABA). Hosted at The May Fair Hotel, the event delivered a series of expert panels and speakers, informed discussion and valuable networking opportunities for figures across the industry.

View the photo gallery here and rewatch the event here.

The afternoon began with a networking lunch before moving into updates from Baltic Exchange and FFABA. Baltic Exchange Chief Commercial Officer Janet Sykes outlined the latest developments in the tanker FFA market and highlighted the Baltic’s continued development of the KYC platform.

Continuing with updates, Josh Smithson, Chair of the FFABA, spoke about developments in forward and spot pricing for the tanker market. He also invited industry input on untraded routes and the potential for FFAs on current Baltic trial routes, emphasising the importance of market feedback. This marks Smithson’s second year as Chair, having been re-elected in January.

The focus then shifted to benchmarks, with Matthew Cox, Benchmark Production Head at Baltic Exchange, providing a detailed update on Baltic Indices and Tanker TCE (Time Charter Equivalent) calculations.

Attention turned next to the wider market outlook. Ioannis Papadimitriou, Lead Freight Analyst at Vortexa, explored how changing freight rate patterns throughout 2025 were shaped by geopolitical tensions and shifting global trade flows, and what those trends could mean for 2026. He also examined the impact of the ‘dark fleet’ on global tanker markets.

Following the afternoon coffee break, Francesco Tassello, Senior Analyst at Harbour Marine, presented the Chemical Tanker Outlook, focusing on the impact of tariffs and changing trade patterns on the global tanker sector, with particular emphasis on chemical seaborne trade.

The event concluded with a carbon panel led by Martin Crawford-Brunt, Emissions Lead at Baltic Exchange, centred on pricing and rewarding delivered performance in an increasingly regulated environment. Georgios Plevrakis, Head of East Med at Hanwha Ocean Europe, discussed the practical impact of carbon regulations on his fleet and outlined how Hanwha Ocean is working to better understand, manage and mitigate challenges. Haris Zografakis, Chairman of Comité Maritime International, addressed the legal ramifications of the EU’s carbon regulations, highlighting the key compliance risks shipowners and operators must be aware of. Lastly, George Thompson, CEO of GT Wings, examined the role of Wind Assisted Propulsion Systems (WAPS) in improving vessels’ carbon credentials and showcased how the company’s new wing design is being adopted by the market.

With strong attendance and engagement throughout the afternoon, attendees left equipped with exclusive market insight, fresh perspectives on decarbonisation and valuable connections to help inform their strategies for the year ahead.