Jet Fuel Cargo Departs Pacific Northwest Bound for Singapore as Arbitrage Reopens

Global oil and refined product shipments that have been upended by the continuing conflict in the Middle East have opened the arbitrage for U.S. West Coast jet fuel exports to Asia, according to traders and ship-tracking data.

The arbitrage for Northeast Asian exports to the U.S. West Coast remained unworkable as fuel prices in Asia remain elevated. That has opened the path for West Coast cargoes to head to Asia.

The vessel Clearocean Marauder carrying jet fuel departed Ferndale, Wash., on March 19 and is expected to arrive in Singapore on April 17, according to Vortexa ship-tracking data.

“Matter of reducing imports [from Asia] won’t affect [Los Angeles]…, but I think you’ll see exports,” one West Coast jet fuel participant said. “We’re already seeing exports off the West Coast, not Los Angeles or California. Things are moving all over. Hopefully, what we produce here will be fine.”

The last time a jet fuel cargo left California bound for Asia was in 2024, according to Vortexa data.

The Energy Information Administration on Wednesday morning reported West Coast jet fuel stocks in the week ended Friday were virtually unchanged week to week at 11 million bbl.

California refiner stocks of jet fuel were at 2.9 million bbl last week, down from 3.015 million bbl in the previous week, according to California Energy Commission data also released on Wednesday. In the comparable week of 2025, stocks were at 3.082 million bbl.

Reporting by Bayan Raji, braji@opisnet.com and Erik Papke, epapke@opisnet.com; Editing by Jeffrey Barber, jbarber@opisnet.com