Business

JLC China Bunker Market Monthly Report (March 2023)

China’s bonded bunker fuel sales rebounded in March, as more foreign ships refueled at Chinese ports where LSFO prices were competitive.

Published

3 years ago

May 17, 2023

Admin

Beijing-based commodity market information provider JLC Network Technology Co. recently shared its JLC China Bunker monthly report for March 2023 with Manifold Times through an exclusive arrangement:

Bunker Fuel Demand

China’s bonded bunker fuel sales rebound in March

China’s bonded bunker fuel sales rebounded in March, as more foreign ships refueled at Chinese ports where low-sulfur fuel oil (LSFO) prices were competitive.

The country tallied about 1.59 million mt of bonded bunker fuel sales in March, a rally of 130,000 mt or 8.18%from February, JLC’s data shows. Specifically, the sales by Chimbusco and SinoBunker climbed to 610,000mt and 70,000 mt, up from 550,000 mt and 60,000 mt in the previous month respectively, while those by Sinopec Zhoushan slipped to 530,000 mt, down from 550,000 mt. At the same time, China ChangJiangBunker (Sinopec) sold about 40,000 mt of bonded bunker fuel, unchanged month on month. In addition, suppliers with regional licenses sold 340,000 mt, versus 260,000 mt in February.

LSFO prices at Chinese ports, especially those in Zhoushan and Shanghai, dropped in the month, attracting more shipowners to refuel. However, the supply of bonded bunker resources was still relatively tight in South China, limiting the rise in China’s total sales.

China’s bonded bunker fuel exports plunge 23.64% in Jan-Feb

China’s bonded bunker fuel exports plunged by 23.64% year on year in January-February 2023, due to multiple downsides.

The country exported about 2.93 million mt of bonded bunker fuel in the two months, down from3.84 million mt in the corresponding months in 2022, JLC estimated, with reference to data from the General Administration of Customs of PRC (GACC).

Heavy bunker fuel exports were 2.79 million mt in the first two months of this year, accounting for 95.18%of the total.At the same time, marine oil gas (MGO) exports were 141,500 mt, making up 4.82%.

Enterprises with national and regional bunkering licenses exported about 2.41 million mt and 526,600 mt in the two months, occupying 82.05% and 17.95% respectively. Sinopec Fuel Oil and Chimbusco were still the main suppliers in this period.

In January alone, China’s bonded bunker fuel exports were roughly 1.32 million mt, a dramatic slump of 46.38% year on year. Global shipping demand was seasonally weak in January, and foreign shipowners were wary about purchases. Meanwhile, the supply of bonded resources tightened in northern regions, which also hit the exports. In addition, some bunkering business at Chinese ports was halted during the Chinese New Year holiday, and China’s customs clearing procedure for export was also affected by the holiday.

However, the exports rebounded in February when global shipping demand grew modestly. Meanwhile, the operation of China’s customs returned to normal after the holiday. China’s bonded bunker fuel exports stood at about 1.61 million mt in February, up by 22.08% from a month earlier and 17.04% from a year earlier.

On the flip side, China’s low-sulfur fuel oil (LSFO) output climbed in January-February as domestic demand rallied. China’s LSFO output settled at 2.46 million mt in the two months, an increase of 7.40%year on year, JLC’s data shows.

China may boost its bonded bunker fuel exports in March as the country’s foreign trade may improve on preferential policies, but the exports are unlikely to grow much because the recovery of the global economy and shipping demand is still slow.

Domestic bunker fuel demand grows slower in March

Domestic-trade bunker fuel demand saw slower growth in March when shipowners were more cautious about purchases. Domestic-trade bunker fuel demand settled at 360,000 mt in the month, a gain of 20,000 mt or 5.88%monthon month, decelerating from a rise of 8.82% in February. Trade cooled down with shipping demand still slow to recover.

In the meantime, domestic demand for light bunker fuel climbed to 135,000 mt, up by 5,000 mt or 3.85%, slowing down from a jump of 18.18% in February. Domestic-trade light bunker fuel consumption increased slightly when marine gas oil prices slipped, but the increase was much slower than a month earlier due to deeper wait-and-see sentiment.

Bunker Fuel Supply

China’s bonded bunker imports hit new low in Jan-Feb 2023

China’s bonded bunker fuel imports plummeted to a new low in the first two months of 2023, largely due to relatively high freight rates and ample supply of domestic low-sulfur fuel oil (LSFO).

The country imported approximately 456,900 mt of bonded bunker fuel in January and February 2023, a plunge of 48.01% from the same period in 2022, JLC estimates, based on data from the General Administration of Customs of PRC (GACC).

Most distributors favored domestically-produced low-sulfur bonded bunker fuel over imported fuel as international freight rates remained high, and domestic supply was more stable and less expensive, industry sources said.

Some distributors with regional licenses to supply bonded bunker may choose to suspend bunkering business if they failed to secure domestic LSFO supplies, according to industry sources.

In China’s bonded bunker market, only high-sulfur fuel oil (HSFO) and marine gasoil (MGO) still rely on imports, while LSFO is rarely seen coming from overseas at present.

Noticeably, HSFO and MGO only account for a small percentage of market share in China’s bonded bunkering business, which may explain why imports were so low in January and February this year.

Malaysia was the top supplier of bonded bunker during the two-month period, exporting 306,400 mt to China, accounting for 67% of the latter’s total imports, followed by South Korea, which exported 109,500 mt with an import share of 24%. Japan and Singapore ranked third and fourth with 39,500 mt and 1,500 mt, accounting for 8.7% and 0.3% respectively.

Domestic heavy bunker fuel supply increases in March

Domestic-trade heavy bunker fuel supply continued to increase in March. Chinese blenders supplied about 375,000 mt of heavy bunker fuel in the month, an uptick of 15,000 mt or 4.17% from a month earlier, JLC’s data shows.

In contrast, the supply of marine gas oil (MGO) shrank to 140,000 mt in the month, a mild dip of 5,000 mt or 3.45% month on month, the data indicates.

Some blenders were wary about bunker fuel blending when downstream demand was relatively weak. As aresult, they just based their supply on actual orders.

Bunker Prices, Profits

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Yvette Luo
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Sales (Beijing)
Tony Tang
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Sales (Singapore)
Ginny Teo
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JLC Network Technology Co., Ltd is recognized as the leading information provider in China. We specialized in providing the transparent, high-value, authoritative market intelligence and professional analysis in commodity market. Our expertise covers oil, gas, coal, chemical, plastic, rubber, fertilizer and metal industry, etc.

JLC China Bunker Fuel Market Monthly Report is published by JLC Network Technology Co., Ltd every month on China bunker market, demand, supply, margin, freight index, forecast and so on. The report provides full-scale & concise insight into China bunker oil market.

Note: China-based commodity market information provider JLC Technology has been providing Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times China bunker volume data since 2020. Data from that period is available here.

Photo credit: JLC Network Technology
Published: 17 May, 2023

Legal

Singapore withdraws remaining 127 charges against Hin Leong founder OK Lim

Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges on 17 July.

Published

9 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

Founder of collapsed oil trader Hin Leong Trading, Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, has had the remaining 127 charges against him withdrawn, according to The Straits Times on Monday (20 July).

OK Lim was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges, including those for cheating, on 17 July. The discharge means Lim cannot be prosecuted again for the same offences.

Lim, 84, is currently serving a 13½-year prison sentence after the High Court reduced his original 17½-year jail term in March 2026. He was convicted in 2024 on two cheating charges and one count of abetting forgery in a case prosecutors described as one of Singapore’s most serious trade finance frauds.

Lim was convicted in May 2024 of two charges of cheating the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and one count of abetting forgery that proceeded to trial out of a total of 130 criminal charges.

He was first charged in court on 14 August 2020, and was subsequently handed further charges in court on 25 September 2020, 30 April 2021 and 24 June 2021 for his role in perpetuating fraud on various financial institutions.

A total of 130 charges were eventually brought against him for cheating and forgery-related offences.

Photo credit: Sora Shimazaki
Published: 21 July, 2026

Winding up

Singapore: Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd to be wound up voluntarily

Coastal Logistics was reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

Published

9 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

Several resolutions for Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd were made during an extraordinary general meeting held on 14 July, according to a notice in the Government Gazette on Friday (4 July).

The following resolutions were duly passed during the meeting:

As Special Resolution

That it has been proved to the satisfaction of the meeting that the Company cannot by reason of its liabilities continue its business and accordingly the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 160(1)(b) of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (No. 40 of 2018);

As Ordinary Resolutions

that Mr. Wong Pheng Cheong Martin and Ms. Koay May Yee, both care of FTI Consulting (Singapore) Pte Ltd, One Raffles Quay, #27-10 South Tower, Singapore 048583 be appointed as the joint and several Liquidators of the Company for the purpose of such winding up; and
that the Liquidators be at liberty to open, maintain and operate any bank account(s) or account(s) for monies received by them as Liquidators with such bank(s) as they deem fit; and
that a Committee of Inspection will not be formed.

Manifold Times previously reported Nicholas James Gronow, director of Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping and Coastal Logistics, filed statutory declarations for both companies stating the firms cannot continue their businesses due to liabilities.

Both companies were reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

In 2019, several vessels owned by both firms entered the sale & purchase (S&P) market in Singapore.

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 21 July, 2026

LNG Bunkering

PIL’s LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on LNG and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

Published

9 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

PIL's LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

Singapore-based Pacific International Lines Pte Ltd on Monday (20 July) said its first 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessel, Kota Elok, recently made her maiden call to Singapore on 15 July.

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

The vessel also incorporated energy-saving features and digital technologies to reduce fuel consumption and enhance operational performance, as well as a bow windshield to improve aerodynamics, contributing to improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions over the course of long-haul voyages.

“Following Singapore, Kota Elok will continue her voyage on our East Coast Service 1 (ES1) route to South America, calling at ports in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina before returning to Asia,” the company said in a social media post.

Kota Elok also became PIL’s first vessel to receive Lloyd’s Register certification for compliance with the IACS UR E26 and UR E27 cyber security requirements.

Developed by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), UR E26 and UR E27 are mandatory cyber resilience requirements for newbuild vessels contracted from 1 July 2024.

Photo credit: Pacific International Lines
Published: 21 July, 2026