April 20 (Reuters) - China's exports of marine fuel oil
fell 32% in March from a year earlier to 1.32 million metric
tons, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on
Saturday.
    The exports are measured mostly by sales from bonded storage
for vessels plying international routes.
    The March volume was 12% higher than the 1.17 million tons
shipped out in February.
    Stronger volumes emerged as bunker prices at key Chinese
ports like Zhoushan and Shanghai were lower than prices at
regional hub Singapore in March, which drew some demand,
industry sources said.
    Export volumes for bunkering in the first quarter totalled
4.16 million tons, 11.9% lower than the same period in 2023.    
 
    Import volumes for March were at 1.98 million tons, down 19%
from the same month last year.
    The import volumes included purchases under ordinary trade,
which are subject to import duty and consumption tax, as well as
imports into bonded storage.
    First quarter fuel oil imports totalled 5.57 million tons,
climbing 3.3% compared to the first quarter in 2023.
    The year-on-year quarterly rise came despite demand for
refining feedstock easing amid suppressed refining margins. 
    The tables below show China's fuel oil exports and imports
in metric tons. The exports section largely captures China's low
sulphur oil bunkering sales along its coast.

 Exports    Bonded storage  yr/yr %change
 Jan             1,674,002            33%
 Feb             1,173,447           -24%
 Mar             1,315,242           -32%
 Imports    Ordinary   Bonded     Total      y/y %
            trade      storage               change
                       trade                 
 Jan          737,451  1,414,318  2,151,769     78%
 Feb          599,867    842,089  1,441,956    -18%
 Mar          727,674  1,250,129  1,977,803    -19%
    
(Figures are based on latest available data at the time of
publishing, and may be subject to revision by China customs at a
later date)        
    

 (Reporting by Jeslyn Lerh and Amy Lv; Editing by Sharon
Singleton)