Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) announced the launch of new tanker and container freight futures and options on October 5, 2026. The additions include the first tanker freight futures on the TD34 FFA Gulf of Oman to China route and the TD15 FFA West Africa to China route for Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC).
The new VLCC contracts are cash-settled based on Baltic Exchange price assessments. According to ICE, the instruments are designed to provide market participants with financial mechanisms to hedge freight volatility as commercial vessels manage restricted access and rerouting around the Strait of Hormuz.
In addition to the wet freight contracts, ICE introduced two cash-settled container freight average price options covering Asia to North Europe (FAN) and Asia to U.S. West Coast (FAW), indexed to NYSHEX's Freight Indices. The exchange stated that the new listings expand its freight complex to more than 90 contracts across over 30 global routes.
The contract launches follow a 33 percent year-to-date increase in average daily volume across ICE freight markets. The derivatives sit alongside ICE's energy benchmarks, including Brent crude and Low Sulphur Gasoil.
Sources
- Finanznachrichten · 2026-10-05
