Experts say that similar patterns were observed during the same period in 2025.

SINGAPORE – Singapore’s bunker fuel sales and tanker arrivals rose in March, even as the war in Iran weighs on global shipping sentiment.

Data released by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on April 14 showed that about 4.8 million tonnes of bunker fuel were sold during the month, up 1.9 per cent from nearly 4.7 million tonnes in February.

The sale of liquefied natural gas (LNG), however, took a dip by about 17 per cent, from 59,000 tonnes to 49,000 tonnes.

Tanker traffic also increased, with 2,302 vessels calling at the port in March – a 10 per cent jump from 2,084 in the previous month.These included 1,651 oil tankers, which is a roughly 10 per cent increase from the 1,503 that had called at Singapore’s port in February.

Maritime expert Yap Wei Yim noted that similar patterns were observed during the same period in 2025, suggesting that the uptick may be seasonal rather than driven by geopolitical developments.

Associate Professor Yap, head of the maritime management minor at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, said it is too early to infer the impact of the war from MPA’s latest figures and cautioned against drawing premature links.