Asia/Pacific News
Hong Kong Quarantine Measures Hamper Bunker Operations
Tougher quarantine measures being imposed in Hong Kong are set to hamper bunker operations there from this week.
From Wednesday only ships carrying out cargo operations will be exempt from quarantine measures in Hong Kong -- meaning vessels arriving only for bunkering would be forced to undergo a 14-day quarantine before receiving their fuel.
Some buyers have brought forward stems to Tuesday to get in before the new rule, or cancelled them altogether, price reporting agency S&P Global Platts cited local suppliers as saying.
The change is likely to shift bunker demand from Hong Kong to other ports in the region.
The very low sulfur fuel oil price at Hong Kong was $354.50/mt on Monday, according to Ship & Bunker pricing, or $6.50/mt above Singapore's level.
