Japan's Jan bonded bunker sales stable on year at 2.19 mil barrels: METI

2013-03-15

Japan sold 347,917 kiloliters (2.19 million barrels) of bonded bunker fuel in January, inching up just 0.05% year on year, according to data released Thursday by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Meanwhile, January sales were 6.1% higher than December sales of 327,876 kl.

Sales of bonded marine diesel oil in January were at 6,232 kl, down 0.7% year on year from 6,275 kl and 6.6% lower month on month, METI data showed.

Bunker sales in February were expected to be lower than in January, market sources said. A trade source attributed the expected lower sales in February to the Lunar New Year period when demand was low.

"In China, there were less working days during the month [of February] because of the holiday season," the source said. The official February sales figure is scheduled to be released on April 15.

Bonded bunker fuel is exempt from tax and can be sold only to ships plying international routes.

Source: Platts

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