Two Chinese-flagged supertankers are pressing ahead with Venezuela-linked voyages despite a US blockade and escalating seizures, reported Newsweek.
Lloyd's List said the 320,899-dwt Thousand Sunny tankers is en route to Venezuela's Jose Terminal, while the 319,000-dwt Xing Ye is slow-steaming off French Guiana awaiting loading. Both vessels remain unsanctioned, though their ownership is undisclosed.
China has opposed US seizures and naval pressure, backing Venezuela at the UN Security Council. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called the blockade iracy," while US President Donald Trump vowed to expand military enforcement, citing oil revenues funding crime and drug trafficking.
The US has seized several tankers and conducted more than 20 strikes on alleged Venezuelan smuggling boats since September. Venezuelan gunboats have begun escorting oil shipments, though coverage is limited to territorial waters.
Bloomberg reported state oil firm PVDSA is shutting wells in the Orinoco Belt as storage fills, cutting output by 25 per cent to 500,000 barrels a day. Chevron continues exports under a US licence. As the tankers near Venezuelan waters, enforcement of the blockade will determine whether the standoff escalates into a wider confrontation.
https://www.shippingazette.com/news?news_id=9260100000027
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