China’s Zhoushan overtakes Fujairah to become third-largest global bunker port

China's Zhoushan overtook Fujairah to become the world's third-largest bunkering port in 2025, highlighting the growing prominence of Chinese ports in the global marine fuel market, according to rankings released at the ninth International Petroleum and Natural Gas Enterprises Conference in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, Oct. 22.

Zhoushan supplied 8.54 million mt of marine fuel in 2025, placing it behind Singapore and Rotterdam but ahead of Antwerp-Bruges and Fujairah, according to the rankings.

Singapore maintained its position as the world's largest bunkering hub, with sales rising 3.8% year over year to 56.18 million mt. Rotterdam ranked second with 9.36 million mt.

Antwerp-Bruges ranked fourth at 7.62 million mt, while Fujairah slipped behind Zhoushan to fifth place with 7.27 million mt.

Zhoushan had ranked fourth globally in the previous ranking, closely trailing third-placed Fujairah, making its move into third place a notable shift in competition among the world's major bunker hubs.

Zhoushan strengthens bunker position

Zhoushan's bonded bunker fuel sales rose 10.1% year over year in 2025 on a comparable basis, according to data presented at the conference, extending growth at one of China's key international bunkering centers.

The port also supplied 515,500 mt of marine fuel to the domestic market during the year.

The world's 10 largest bunkering ports supplied a combined 116.7 million mt of marine fuels in 2025, up 3.3% year over year, indicating resilient bunker demand despite uncertainties surrounding international trade and financial policies.

Zhoushan was among several Asian ports to record higher bunker sales during the year, alongside Hong Kong, Busan and Shanghai. The rankings highlighted the growing importance of Asian bunkering markets as shifts in global trade flows and shipping routes reshape competition among major fueling hubs.

Chinese suppliers maintain strong presence

Chinese companies also featured prominently among the world's largest marine fuel suppliers in 2025.

Chimbusco ranked first with sales of 28.16 million mt, broadly unchanged from 28.2 million mt in the previous year, according to the conference data.

Sinopec Fuel Oil Sales Co. ranked third, with 2025 sales of 21.27 million mt, down 10.6% from 23.8 million mt a year earlier, according to the data.

The top 10 global marine fuel suppliers recorded combined sales of 167 million mt in 2025, down 1.91% from 2024.

The supplier ranking was based on marine fuel volumes sold directly to end-users, including contracted volumes and deliveries completed through third parties, while excluding inter-company trading volumes.

Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, assessed the Zhoushan-delivered 380 CST fuel oil at $843/mt on Oct. 21. The premium over benchmark FOB Singapore 380 CST fuel oil cargoes rose $4.43/mt day over day to $77.82/mt.

Platts assessed the Zhoushan-delivered LSFO at $925/mt on Oct. 21, down $20/mt day over day. The premium over the benchmark FOB Singapore 0.5%S marine fuel fell $5.32/mt to $70.50/mt.