Japan sold 2.64 million barrels of bonded bunker fuel in March, up 13.5% from February and 

up 10.3% year on year, according to data released Wednesday by the Ministry of Economy, 

Trade and Industry. 

The sales volume recorded for March is a 16-month high, with METI's historical data showing 

that bonded bunker fuel sales were last higher in November 2016, at 443,896 kiloliters or 2.7

9 million barrels. 

In  mid-March,  according  to  a  source  close  to  JXTG   Nippon  Oil & Energy, Japan was 

experiencing strong bunker demand, so much so  that the refiner had to temporarily stop 

accepting fresh bunker fuel orders at its Mizushima  plant  in  west Japan until the end ,of  

March. 

Meanwhile, METI data released Wednesday also showed that Japan's bonded marine diesel 

oil segment recorded a decline in sales in March, with the volume down 26.4% from February 

to 10,256 kiloliters or 64,510 barrels. This is a nine-month low for bonded MDO sales. 

METI's historical data showed that bonded MDO sales were last lower in June 2017, at 10,04

1 kiloliters or 63,158 barrels. On a year-on-year basis, MDO sales were down 35.5%. 

METI statistics also showed there were no imports of bonded bunker fuel oil in March. Japan 

last  imported  bonded  bunker  fuel oil in June 2017, when 5,063 kiloliters or 31,845 barrels 

were brought in. 

Bonded  bunker  fue l is  exempt  from  import  tax  and  can  be  sold  only  to  ships plying 

international routes.