Hebei has launched its first bonded marine fuel “dual-warehouse function” operation, marking a new step in streamlining domestic low-sulphur bunker fuel supply logistics, according to China-based news outlets on Tuesday (12 May).
Under the supervision of Qinhuangdao Customs, which falls under Shijiazhuang Customs, 2,497 metric tonnes (mt) of domestically produced low sulphur fuel oil were recently transferred into a storage tank operated by China Marine Bunker Hebei Co Ltd.
The move marked the launch of Hebei’s first reform project, allowing a single storage tank to serve simultaneously as both a bonded warehouse and an export-supervised warehouse.
The “dual-warehouse function” model was introduced last year by China’s General Administration of Customs targeting marine fuel oil storage and supply operations.
Under the previous system, domestically produced marine fuel for bonded bunkering had to be physically transferred from an export supervised warehouse to a bonded warehouse before being supplied to vessels — a process described by a Shijiazhuang Customs official as operationally cumbersome and costly.
The new framework allows the entire process, including export declaration, in-tank transfer and bonded bunkering operations, to be completed within the same storage facility digitally, eliminating the need for multiple physical transfers of goods.
According to Shijiazhuang Customs, the reform is expected to improve tank turnover efficiency and speed up bunkering operations.
“A single oil tank can now perform two functions, effectively combining two warehouses into one,” said Song Guangyu, Manager of the Bonded Bunker Business Department at China Marine Bunker Hebei Co Ltd.
Song said the company expects to eliminate more than 60 tank-switching operations annually following implementation of the new model, reducing operating costs by more than RMB 3 million (USD 441,689) per year.
Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 14 May, 2026
