Peru’s March base oils imports fall

Peru’s base oils imports fell in March on the back of a slowdown in shipments from the US.

Imports from South Korea rose to a five-month high, cushioning the drop in supplies.

Total base oils imports of more than 7,200 kilolitres (6,410t) in March fell from close to 9,700kl the previous month, provisional customs data showed.

The slowdown cut total imports to little more than 20,900kl in the first three months of the year.

The volume was up from 15,400kl during the fourth quarter of last year but down from 23,620kl during the same period last year.

Imports of more than 1,600kl from South Korea in March were the highest since last October amid ongoing arbitrage flows from the northeast Asian country.