Singapore bunker sales increased in the first seven months of 2026 as marine fuel shortages at major shipping hubs eased despite continued disruption around the Strait of Hormuz.
Bunker sales in Singapore reached 32.58 million mt from January through July, more than 3% above the same period in 2025. The comparison comes against a record year for the port in 2025.
Rishi Nyati, managing director of Emarat Maritime, told a panel at the Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference (APPEC) that the difficulties seen in March and April in obtaining marine fuel at major hubs were no longer evident. He also said there were currently no significant problems sourcing bunkers and supplying them to vessels.
Fuel prices, however, remained well above levels recorded at the start of the year. Singapore VLSFO stood at $878.50/mt on Friday, compared with $433.50/mt on 1 January, according to Ship & Bunker data. The increase was more than 100%.
VLSFO prices moved sharply higher through March after the US and Israel struck Iran in late February, before falling back from their peaks.
Conditions at Fujairah have recovered only partially. Max Tay, Asia heavy product trading manager at Repsol, estimated that bunkering activity at the United Arab Emirates hub was running at around 40% of its pre-war level.
Tay said disruption from the Strait of Hormuz was continuing, although other supply sources were available. The greater difficulty was obtaining sufficient blending stocks to produce marine fuels that meet specifications for different buyers and markets.
Cargo vessel movements through the Strait of Hormuz have also continued. Nyati said between 10 and 15 cargo vessel transits a day were taking place in both directions through the Omani corridor on the southern side of the strait.
