China's exports of clean marine fuel in May dipped 18% from a month earlier, as stringent COVID-19 disinfection measures imposed at ports deterred international vessels from refuelling in the country. Data from the General Administration of Customs showed exports of very low-sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO), a clean marine fuel with a maximum sulphur content of 0.5%, were 1.55 million tonnes.
That was down 1.9 million tonnes sold in April but still up from 1.31 million tonnes in May last year. For the first five months of 2021, exports totalled 8.15 million tonnes, the data showed. A new wave of COVID-19 outbreak in southern China, leading to tougher disinfection restrictions and weeks-long port congestion, may hurdled bunker fuel business in the region.