Singapore and Malaysia
In Singapore, VLSFO lead times remain highly variable. Some suppliers are advising as little as five days, while others recommend booking up to three weeks in advance due to tight delivery schedules. Last week, typical lead times ranged from 6–10 days.
LSMGO supply remains good, with most suppliers now recommending 4–6 days of lead time—slightly up from 2–5 days the week before. Meanwhile, HSFO lead times have also increased, now standing at 7–12 days compared to 6–10 days last week.
According to Enterprise Singapore, Singapore's residual fuel oil stocks have averaged 6% higher so far this month than in May. Total fuel oil stocks have surpassed 22 million bbls, supported by a 6% increase in net fuel oil imports in June. Exports have risen by 514,000 bbls, exceeding the 370,000-bbl drop in imports.
Middle distillate inventories in Singapore have also grown, averaging 14% higher this month.
In Malaysia's Port Klang, VLSFO and LSMGO remain readily available, with prompt delivery possible for smaller quantities. However, HSFO supply continues to be limited.
East Asia
VLSFO and LSMGO availability has improved in Zhoushan due to subdued demand, bringing lead times down sharply from around 10 days last week to just five days now. HSFO lead times in the port remain stable at approximately five days, showing little change from the previous week.
In northern China, ports like Dalian and Qingdao continue to have good availability of both VLSFO and LSMGO. However, HSFO remains in short supply in Qingdao. Tianjin is facing tight supply for both VLSFO and HSFO, while LSMGO remains readily available.
In Shanghai, supply pressure persists for both VLSFO and HSFO, but LSMGO inventories are good. Further south, Fuzhou holds strong VLSFO stocks, though LSMGO availability is limited. Xiamen has sufficient VLSFO supply, while LSMGO remains constrained.
Meanwhile, prompt deliveries of both VLSFO and LSMGO are still challenging in Yangpu and Guangzhou.
In Hong Kong, lead times for all fuel grades remain consistent at seven days. However, bunker operations could face delays due to adverse weather conditions forecast for 25–26 June.
In Taiwan, VLSFO and LSMGO lead times are holding steady. In Kaohsiung, suppliers are recommending around three days, while lead times remain shorter—at approximately two days—in Hualien, Taichung, and Keelung.
In South Korea, suppliers in southern ports like Busan have been pricing their VLSFO at a premium of $47/mt to western ports like Daesan now, significantly up from around $4/mt at the beginning of June. According to a source, this increase stems partly from supplier efforts to lift prices ahead of July, following weaker levels earlier in the month. However, the price spike has dampened demand, prompting many bunker buyers to shift to nearby Chinese ports such as Zhoushan.
Lead times for all fuel grades across multiple South Korean ports have improved, now averaging 5–6 days, compared to the 5–10 days recommended last week.
Weather-related disruptions are expected to affect bunker operations – Ulsan, Onsan, and Yeosu may face interruptions due to high waves from 28–30 June, while Daesan, Busan, and Taean are also likely to see delays from high swells on 25 June and again between 28–30 June.
VLSFO supply remains robust in major Japanese ports such as Tokyo, Chiba, Yokohama, and Kawasaki. In contrast, prompt availability is limited in Osaka, Kobe, Sakai, and Mizushima, and remains especially tight in Nagoya and Yokkaichi.
LSMGO is generally well-stocked across the country, but securing prompt deliveries is difficult in Osaka, Kobe, Sakai, Nagoya, Yokkaichi, and Mizushima. HSFO supply is stable overall, yet prompt delivery remains constrained in the same set of ports.
Meanwhile, in Oita, availability across all fuel grades continues to be tight.
Adverse weather is expected to disrupt bunker deliveries at Thailand's Koh Sichang and Laem Chabang ports on 29–30 June. In Vietnam, rough sea conditions are also forecast to impact bunker operations in Ho Chi Minh during the same period.
Oceania
In Western Australia, VLSFO and LSMGO are readily available at Kwinana, Fremantle, and Port Kembla, with suppliers recommending lead times of 7–8 days. In New South Wales, LSMGO supply remains steady in Sydney, though prompt HSFO deliveries continue to face challenges.
Victoria's ports, Melbourne and Geelong, have good availability of both VLSFO and LSMGO. However, HSFO supply remains limited, especially for prompt delivery.
In Queensland, VLSFO and LSMGO are well-stocked in Brisbane and Gladstone, with lead times of about seven days. HSFO, however, remains tight in Brisbane.
Over in New Zealand, VLSFO is sufficiently available in both Tauranga and Auckland. Still, bunker operations at Tauranga could be affected by adverse weather forecast between 26–30 June.
South Asia
VLSFO supply remains tight at several Indian ports, including Mundra, Kandla, Mumbai, Tuticorin, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Cochin, and Haldia, extending the trend seen in recent weeks. In Paradip, one supplier is reportedly close to running out of stock.
LSMGO availability across most Indian ports continues to be subject to enquiry, with no guaranteed prompt supply.
Adverse weather is likely to disrupt bunker operations at multiple locations: Sikka between 27–28 June, Kandla from 26–28 June, and Mumbai on both 25 and 28 June.
In Sri Lanka, lead times for all fuel grades at Colombo and Hambantota have risen sharply to around eight days, up from approximately two days the previous week.
Middle East
VLSFO availability has tightened in Fujairah, with recommended lead times increasing to around nine days, up from 5–7 days last week. Most suppliers are hesitant to commit to larger stems due to ongoing market volatility driven by the Middle East conflict and cargo shortages. Premiums are being charged for larger stems, according to a trader.
LSMGO and HSFO still require lead times of about seven days, which is roughly unchanged from last week. While some suppliers can offer prompt deliveries, these are typically priced at a premium.
Despite current instability, the Port of Fujairah—recognized as the Middle East's leading bunkering hub—had demonstrated resilience earlier in the year. Bunker sales in March 2025 rose by 15% month-on-month after a decline in February. However, the renewed conflict has driven up insurance and security costs, likely hindering further recovery, as risk-averse shipowners reconsider bunkering in the region.
Some vessels have reportedly begun rerouting to avoid the area amid ongoing concerns over escalation and a possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Jebel Ali, another key UAE port, is also vulnerable to regional disruptions due to its strategic location and heavy traffic, making it subject to increased risk premiums.
Elsewhere in the region, another source noted there has been “no major impact so far” on bunkering across Middle Eastern ports, apart from “a slight drop in demand.” The source added that while “some ports are being more cautious, and ship movements in certain areas have slightly shifted,” the “overall operations remain stable.” Most suppliers are closely monitoring the situation as it unfolds.
In Iraq's Basrah, VLSFO and LSMGO remain readily available, though HSFO supply is limited. In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, both VLSFO and LSMGO availability continues to be constrained.
At Egypt's Suez port, stocks of all three conventional bunker grades—VLSFO, LSMGO, and HSFO—are nearly depleted.
In Qatar, concerns are mounting over port security after Iranian missile strikes targeted the Al-Udeid base, the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East. This has raised alarms over the potential for operational disruptions at Qatari ports such as Ras Laffan, where supply of both VLSFO and LSMGO is currently tight.
Bunker availability in Djibouti is under significant pressure, with VLSFO and HSFO nearly out of stock and LSMGO also limited.
In contrast, Omani ports—including Sohar, Salalah, Muscat, and Duqm—continue to maintain stable LSMGO supply.
Source: ENGINE, By Tuhin Roy