The initial trade is for 380 cst fuel in small contract size of 10 metric tonnes to allow all market participants to participate in the trading.. The contract is US dollar denominated.
APEX said the contract is expected to provide price transparency for the fuel oil market, as the contract is continuously traded in the market. Trading hours cover Platts Singapore, Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) and Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), connecting Singapore, Shanghai, European and American markets.
“The contract is settled through physical delivery, via the use of APEX Fuel Oil Warehouse Receipts (AFOWR). This unique method of physical delivery is the first in Singapore, and is expected to bring increased convenience to the marine fuel oil market,” APEX stated.
“Participants can choose to load-in their fuel oil to APEX Approved Warehouses, where they can store or sell their products to potential buyers. The unique methodology ensures that the product conform to the specifications during physical delivery, reducing the risks of low quality products.”
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APEX highlighted that the largely volatile marine fuel oil prices have fluctuated up to 100%, urging associated industries to hedge the risk of adverse price movements.
“Currently, there are limited hedging tools in the local market for marine fuel oil, with most local participants relying on Over-The-Counter (OTC) Market or hedging tools from paper markets, active participants using the Platts market.
“In addition, many Chinese participants utilise the SHFE contract to hedge their risks. Despite the presence of these markets, there remains several constraints such as exchange rate fluctuations and large contract denominations,” it said.
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