Americas Market Update 3 Nov 2025
Bunker fuel prices have shown mixed movements, and weather conditions in New York have improved.
IMAGE: Aerial view of Los Angeles and Long Beach ports. Getty Images.
Changes on the day from Friday to 03.00 CST (9.00 GMT) today:
- VLSFO prices up in Houston ($16/mt), New York and Zona Comun ($3/mt), unchanged in Balboa, and down in Los Angeles ($7/mt)
- LSMGO prices up in New York ($26/mt), Houston ($25/mt) and Balboa ($21/mt), and down in Los Angeles ($14/mt) and Zona Comun ($1/mt)
- HSFO prices up in New York ($19/mt), and down in Houston ($9/mt), Los Angeles ($3/mt) and Balboa ($1/mt)
New York's HSFO price has defied the general market direction and has moved up by $19/mt, while all other key ports’ prices for the grade have fallen.
It is at a premium of $26/mt over Houston’s HSFO, sharply up from the $5/mt premium it held a month ago on 3 October.
In New York, bunker demand has remained steady for both HSFO and LSMGO this week, according to sources.
Recommended lead times for HSFO and VLSFO are between 5–7 days. LSMGO, meanwhile, can be supplied within 2–3 days.
After gale warnings were in effect through most of last week in New York Harbour, weather has improved at the port, and bunkering operations are expected to continue smoothly, a source said.
Meanwhile, Balboa's VLSFO price has remained unchanged, while HSFO's price has fallen. In Panama, bunker demand continues to be weak, with most ports reporting steady availability.
In Argentina's Zona Comun, bunker prices have remained fairly stable, with VLSFO gaining by $3/mt and LSMGO dipping by $1/mt in the past session.
Fuel demand has reportedly been low at the anchorage, a local ship agent informed ENGINE. VLSFO and LSMGO grades are available via barges, with lead times of 5–7 days.
Brent
The front-month ICE Brent has remained unchanged on the day from Friday, to trade at $64.66/bbl at 03.00 CST (9.00 GMT) today
Upward pressure:
Brent crude’s price has felt some upward pressure after official drilling figures showed a decrease in US oil rigs.
The total number of oil rigs fell by six over the week to 414, according to Baker Hughes.
The US oil rig count is seen as an indicator of future oil production. It reflects how much oil drilling activity is happening or expected to happen in the shale sector.
“The broader weakness in oil prices continues to weigh on drilling activity in the US,” two analysts from ING Bank noted.
Downward pressure:
OPEC+ has decided to continue with production hikes until the end of this year. This news has capped Brent’s price rise today.
Eight members of the group have agreed to collectively increase their production by another 137,000 b/d in December.
This marks the group's eighth consecutive plan to boost production. The move was “widely expected,” according to ING Bank’s analysts.
In an oversupplied market, any signal of increased future supply can put downward pressure on Brent’s price.
By Gautamee Hazarika and Aparupa Mazumder
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