Oman Inaugurates OOMCO Marine Bunker Fuel Terminal at Port of Duqm

Construction work at the Duqm Refinery in Oman. (Reuters)
Construction work at the Duqm Refinery in Oman. (Reuters)
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Oman Inaugurates OOMCO Marine Bunker Fuel Terminal at Port of Duqm

Construction work at the Duqm Refinery in Oman. (Reuters)
Construction work at the Duqm Refinery in Oman. (Reuters)

Oman inaugurated on Sunday the Oman Oil Marketing Company (OOMCO) Marine bunker fuel terminal worth OMR11 million at the Port of Duqm.

OOMCO Marine is the bunker arm of OOMCO SAOG.

Located in the Duqm Special Economic Zone (SEZAD), the terminal will supply the full range of bunker fuel to ships at the port and port anchorage.

The project will contribute to further positioning Oman as a world-class logistics and shipping hub.

According to Oman’s News Agency (ONA), it is one of the projects announced by the Oman Investment Authority, as part of the 52nd National Day celebrations.

Hilal al-Kharusi, Chairman of OOMCO said, “Inaugurating the OOMCO Marine bunker fuel terminal at the Port of Duqm further strengthens Oman’s position as a world-class logistics and shipping hub, in line with the objectives laid out in Oman’s Vision 2040.”

“Our now fully operational terminal contributes to economic growth and diversification in Oman, while capitalizing on its strategic position near established global trade routes.”

The terminal is expected to meet the increasing demands for high-quality and sustainable marine fuels, including the highest specification compliant HSFO, VLSFO and LSMGO marine fuel to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 8217, as well as all low sulphur fuel-compliant marine fuels, in line with International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Decarbonization targets.

Bunkers will be delivered by a port based bunker barge and also directly by road truck, with the bunker barge capable of supplying VLSFO 0.5% Sulphur and LSMGO bunker fuels to vessels in the port and at anchorage, at a pumping rate of up to 1,000 meter cubed per hour.

OOMCO’s bunkering services are underpinned by the nearby Duqm refinery.

Owing to its strategic location on Oman’s south-east coast and its close proximity to significant shipping traffic accessing the Suez Canal, Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean, the inaugurated quality and eco-efficient marine fuel terminal aims to serve the international shipping market.



India Imposes Temporary Tariff on Some Steel to Stem Cheap Imports from China 

A worker stacks pressed steel items at a factory which produces metal products for export, in Binzhou, in China's eastern Shandong province on April 15, 2025. (AFP)
A worker stacks pressed steel items at a factory which produces metal products for export, in Binzhou, in China's eastern Shandong province on April 15, 2025. (AFP)
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India Imposes Temporary Tariff on Some Steel to Stem Cheap Imports from China 

A worker stacks pressed steel items at a factory which produces metal products for export, in Binzhou, in China's eastern Shandong province on April 15, 2025. (AFP)
A worker stacks pressed steel items at a factory which produces metal products for export, in Binzhou, in China's eastern Shandong province on April 15, 2025. (AFP)

India, the world's second-biggest producer of crude steel, on Monday imposed a 12% temporary tariff on some steel imports, locally known as a safeguard duty, to curb a surge in cheap shipments primarily from China.

A flood of Chinese steel in recent years has pushed some Indian mills to scale down operations and mull job cuts, and India is one of a number of countries to have contemplated action to stem imports to protect local industry.

The Ministry of Finance said in an official order that the duty would be effective for 200 days from Monday, "unless revoked, superseded or amended earlier".

The move is New Delhi's first big trade policy shift since US President Donald Trump imposed a wide range of tariffs on countries in April, kicking off a bitter trade war with China.

Tensions over cheap steel imports into India predate that, with the investigation behind the latest move beginning in December.

India's Steel Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy said in a statement the measure is aimed at protecting domestic steel manufacturers from the adverse impact of a surge in imports, and will ensure fair competition in the market.

"This move will provide critical relief to domestic producers, especially small and medium-scale enterprises, who have faced immense pressure from rising imports," Kumaraswamy said.

New Delhi's tariffs are primarily aimed at China, which was the second-biggest exporter of steel to India behind South Korea in 2024/25.

"The decision is along expected lines and we will now wait and see how this measure supports (the) industry and margins and restricts cheap imports into the country," said a senior executive at a leading Indian steel mill.

"The world is impacted by Chinese imports whether directly or indirectly," said the executive.

India was a net importer of finished steel for a second straight year in 2024/25, with shipments reaching a nine-year high of 9.5 million metric tons, according to provisional government data.

New Delhi's leading steelmakers' body - which counts JSW Steel and Tata Steel among members, alongside the Steel Authority of India and ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India - has raised concerns over imports and called for curbs.