China May Trim Fuel Oil Imports Amid 2025 Tax Hike, Sources Say

OIL AND GAS - SINGAPORE. China's fuel oil imports are expected to drop in early 2025 following a hike in the product's import tax from Jan. 1, prompting some sellers to lower prices to boost demand, several trade sources familiar with the matter said.

The rise in import duties, which comes on top of a separate policy last October to reduce tax rebates on fuel oil shipments, will further crimp margins for China's refining sector that has been reeling from lacklustre margins since last year.