China's marine fuel exports fall to 22 — month low

SINGAPORE, Sept 20 (Reuters) — China's fuel oil exports, which were mainly for marine fuel bunkering, fell in August to an almost two-year low, customs data showed on Sunday. Export volumes totalled 1.22 million metric tons in August, or about 250,773 barrels per day, down 34% from July and 25% lower than the same time a year earlier, based on General Administration of Customs data. That was the lowest level since October 2024. Some bunkering was hampered by weather at China's main vessel refuelling hub in Zhoushan, market sources said, but prices of low-sulphur marine fuel at Chinese bunker ports have remained below those at regional bunker hub Singapore. China's fuel oil imports, which typically head to refineries and also to the marine fuel blending pool, totalled 1.3 million tons for August, up 15% month on month and down 11% year on year. Buying sentiment for fuel oil in the third quarter has improved from the second quarter but has remained capped because independent refineries still had crude import quotas to utilise. China's crude oil throughput climbed for a second month in August, supported by stronger refined fuel exports after Beijing eased export restrictions in mid-Ju