Port congestion in China is prompting more vessels to refuel at the country’s ports as the worsening Covid-19 outbreak forces the reconfiguration of shipping routes. China supplied 4.9 million metric tons of bonded bunker fuel to ships in the first quarter of this year, 1.9% more than a year earlier, according to Tian Qiujin, an analyst at OilChem, which tracks the data. That compares with a 12% drop in bunker sales in Singapore — Asia’s biggest refueling hub. As authorities in Shanghai continue to implement strict Covid-19 restrictions and Beijing begins mass testing for the virus, hundreds of ships carrying everything from bulk commodities to container boxes are waiting off the country’s east coast. The gridlock has ships burning fuel as they idle in the water, making them more likely to refuel in Guangzhou or Zhoushan instead of Singapore, said traders. The Maritime and Port Authority of […]