WORLDSCALE

A standard freight scale for tankers published annually by the Worldscale Associations of London and New York. WS100, the flat rate, is the cost in US dollars per tonne of cargo to run a notional 75,000 dwt standard vessel on a given laden-plus-ballast round voyage at a fixed daily hire, covering bunkers, port charges, and canal tolls revised each year. A market fixture quoted at WS50 pays half the flat rate; WS150 pays 1.5 times. The scale separates voyage cost from market sentiment so any route can be compared on one number.