BEIJING: China’s fuel exports rebounded in March as jet fuel shipments and diesel exports rose to multi-month highs, though weak profit margins kept exports below levels of a year earlier, customs data showed on Friday.
Aviation fuel exports were down 11.9% year on year at 1.75 million metric tons (13.79 million barrels) and diesel exports were down 47.2%, data from the General Administration of Customs showed.
China’s gasoline exports, at 930,000 tons, were down 19.1% from a year earlier but represented a recovery from February’s 12-year low of 200,000 tons.
First-quarter diesel, gasoline and aviation fuel exports fell 44.8%, 40% and 8% respectively.
Total exports of refined oil products, which included diesel, gasoline, aviation fuel and marine fuel, were down 12.9% at 5.24 million tons.
The data also showed that imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) fell 24.5% year on year to 4.97 million tons in March.