Castrol BP Petco Vietnam's largest June base oil importer

Castrol BP Petco remained Vietnam’s largest base oils importer in June for a fifth month even as its share of imports fell.

The joint venture between BP and Vietnam Petroleum Corp saw its share of base oils imports fall back to just over 18pc of the total in June, provisional customs data showed. The share was down from more than 30pc in May.

The June level was closer to its more typical share of close to 19pc of total base oil imports in the first half of the year.

Vietnam’s base oils imports rose in June to a three-month high of 23,920t. Imports of 119,970t in the first six months of the year were up 10pc from year-earlier levels.

The rise in imports coincided with a strong rebound in the country's economic growth so far this year.

Chevron Lubricants Vietnam was the country’s second-largest base oils importer in June, with a share of more than 17pc of the total. The higher-than-usual share followed unusually low imports the previous month.

The recovery in imports boosted its share to close to 10pc of total imports in the first half of the year.

Vilube, a subsidiary of Motul Asia Pacific, remained the third-largest importer for a second month.

It boosted its share of base oils imports to more than 17pc of the June total, from just over 16pc the previous month.

Those levels were well above its share of less than 12pc of base oil imports in the first half of the year and in 2021.