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Imports of fuel oil into China fell by 196,000 tonnes, or 56.3 percent, to 152,000 tonnes in December compared to the previous month, according to ICIS shipping fixture data.

In a comparison with the corresponding month last year, the figure was 57,000 tonnes, or 60 percent, higher than the 95,000 tonnes recorded in December 2012.

According to market sources, the reason for the plummet in month-on-month import volumes was because no imported fuel oil reached Hainan Province in December, compared to 210,000 tonnes of Singapore 380 (centistoke) cst fuel oil the previous month.

Meanwhile, Brightoil is reported to have imported approximately 100,000 tonnes of fuel oil into Shenzhen in December, whilst Sinopec Fuel Oil Sales is said to have received around 40,000 tonnes of fuel oil at Fujian.

Huangpu port is estimated to have imported around 7,000 tonnes of fuel oil in December and Guangxi region is understood to have received approximately 5,000 tonnes.