China Fuel Exports Fall as Gasoline Weakness Offsets Jet Fuel Boom

China’s gasoline exports slump as jet fuel demand lifts refinery output
China’s gasoline exports fell sharply in November, highlighting uneven fuel demand even as higher jet fuel shipments supported refinery activity, according to customs data cited by Reuters.
Exports of refined petroleum products slipped 2.2% year on year in November to 5.12 million metric tons. The figure, however, rose 13.3% from October, reflecting stronger shipments of selected fuels.
Gasoline exports recorded the steepest decline. China shipped 610,000 tons of gasoline in November, down 51.7% from the same month last year. Over the first 11 months of 2025, gasoline exports fell 16% to 7.69 million tons, pointing to weak overseas demand and tighter export allocations.
By contrast, jet fuel exports showed strong growth. Shipments of aviation fuel jumped 53.6% in November to 2.43 million tons. For the January–November period, jet fuel exports rose 10.9% to 19.55 million tons, the strongest performance among China’s refined fuel categories.
“Jet fuel demand has been supported by the steady recovery in international travel and airline capacity,” one Beijing-based refining analyst said. “This is where refiners are seeing better margins.”
Diesel exports delivered mixed signals. November exports rose 5.2% from a year earlier to 420,000 tons. However, diesel shipments for the first 11 months of the year fell 21.3% to 6.23 million tons, reflecting weaker global industrial activity and competition from Middle Eastern suppliers.
Overall, exports of jet fuel, diesel, gasoline and marine fuel totaled 52.65 million tons between January and November, down 3.2% from the same period last year, customs data showed.
Higher fuel exports in November were mirrored by stronger refinery activity. Chinese refiners processed 60.83 million tons of crude oil during the month, equivalent to 14.86 million barrels per day. That was 39% higher than a year earlier, according to official data.
The November daily average was slightly lower than October’s 14.94 million barrels per day. Analysts attributed the dip to seasonal maintenance that took around 1.2 million barrels per day of refining capacity offline.
“Maintenance reduced throughput in November, but runs remain historically strong,” the analyst said. “Refiners are still responding to export demand and inventory needs.”
From January to November, China’s refinery runs rose 4% from a year earlier, even as the country accelerated crude oil stockpiling that began in early spring and has continued through the year.
The contrasting fuel export trends underline a shift in China’s refined products market. Gasoline and diesel exports have weakened, while jet fuel has emerged as a bright spot, supported by travel demand and higher refinery utilization.
Market watchers say the balance between domestic demand, export quotas and refining margins will determine whether the recovery in fuel exports can be sustained into early 2026.