China issued 19M tons of refined fuel & 8M tons of low-sulfur marine fuel export quotas for 2026’s first batch, steady YoY. Sinopec & CNPC received over 70% of fuel quotas. Jan-Nov ’25 refined product exports fell 3.2% to 52.65M tons

According to multiple trade sources, China has released its first batch of refined fuel export quotas for 2026, totaling 19 million tons. These quotas include gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.

The world’s second-largest oil consumer also allocated 8 million tons in export quotas for low-sulphur marine fuel in the same batch, the sources indicated. These volumes are consistent with those from the previous year.

China utilizes a quota system to regulate its refined fuel exports to maintain equilibrium in its domestic supply and demand dynamics. As of now, the commerce ministry has not provided a response to a Reuters request for clarification sent via fax.

The primary recipients of these quotas are state-owned oil giants Sinopec and CNPC, securing 13.76 million tons of the allowances for exporting gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel, which accounts for over 70% of the total volume. Zhejiang Petrochemical, a major private refiner, received 1.56 million tons of export quotas in this initial allocation.

Within the total 19 million tons of export quotas designated for gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, 6.6 million tons are earmarked for processing trade, mainly for aviation fuel bunkering activities. Concurrently, Sinopec and CNPC were allocated nearly 85% of the 8 million tons of allowances for low-sulphur marine fuel.

During the first eleven months of 2025, China’s exports of refined oil products, encompassing gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel, and marine bunker fuel, reached 52.65 million tons, marking a 3.2% decrease compared to the same period last year.