Americas News
Panama August Bunker Sales Jump 8.2% On the Month
Marine fuel demand in Panama rose in August, bouncing from a 13-month low in the previous month of July.
Panama's total sales reached 419,056 mt in August, according to preliminary data from the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP). The total was up by 8.2% from July's level, but down by 8.3% from August 2024.
VLSFO sales were 281,158 mt in August – the highest since March 2025 – and up by 6.4% on the year and 8.4% from July's level.
August HSFO bunker sales totalled 88,237 mt, rising 1.5% from July's level, but down sharply by 41.2% year-on-year.
HSFO's share of the total bunker sales shrank from 32.8% a year ago to 21% in August.
MGO sales dipped by 17.7% from the previous month of July, while LSMGO rose by 26.4% - the highest since May 2025.
A total of 598 ships arrived to take on bunkers in Panama in August, up from 575 in July. But this figure was lower than 617 in August 2024.
The average stem size was 701 mt in August, up from 673 mt in July. So far this year, the average stem size has been about 715 mt.
28 barges supplied bunker fuels to ships in Panama in August, similar to July.
A total of 3.54 million mt of bunker fuels was sold in the first eight months of this year, up by 11.3% from 3.18 million mt sold in the same period last year.
The VLSFO price at Balboa averaged $516.1/mt in August, according to Ship & Bunker data, down from the $535.3/mt average level in July.
Ship & Bunker's G20-VLSFO Index of average prices across 20 leading bunkering ports was $534.4/mt in August, down from $552.8/mt in July.
