Contract Purpose
This differential contract allows market participants to:
- Trade the price spread between Singapore 0.5% VLSFO and European Barges 0.5% VLSFO directly
- Hedge exposure to inter-regional price differences in compliant marine fuels
- Manage risks associated with physical VLSFO cargoes moving between Asian and European markets
- Implement arbitrage strategies between these two key global marine fuel hubs
Market Significance
Regional Price Indicator: Provides a transparent benchmark for the price differential between Asian and European VLSFO markets
Shipping Economics Barometer: Reflects the economics of bunker fuel procurement across different global regions
IMO 2020 Compliance Tool: Captures regional differences in the availability and pricing of regulation-compliant marine fuels
Trading Benefits
- Inter-Regional Spread Trading: Enables direct trading of the VLSFO price difference without holding separate positions in each market
- Risk Management: Offers an efficient hedge for bunker suppliers, shipping companies and traders operating across both regions
- Price Discovery: Facilitates transparent valuation of VLSFO arbitrage opportunities between Asia and Europe
- Capital Efficiency: Reduces margin requirments compared to trading outright positions in both markets
This contract is particularly valuable for shipping companies managing global bunker fuel costs, marine fuel suppliers operating across multiple regions, and commodity traders seeking to capitalize on regional price dislocations in the VLSFO market. It provides a focused instrument to manage regulatory compliance costs while optimising fuel procurement strategies across the world’s major shipping lanes.