India has dispatched its first jet fuel shipment to the U.S. West Coast, marking a rare long-distance supply movement driven by tightening aviation fuel availability in California, according to industry traders.
The cargo, estimated at around 60,000 metric tonnes, was loaded at the Jamnagar refinery complex in late October. The vessel is expected to reach the port of Los Angeles in early December, opening an unusual trade route that typically remains inactive due to high shipping costs.
This one-off opportunity emerged after a fire at a major refinery in Southern California disrupted local jet fuel production. The incident pushed regional prices sharply higher, creating favourable conditions for suppliers from farther markets, including India, to step in.
Market analysts say the shipment highlights how global fuel flows adjust rapidly when large refining hubs face outages. However, they also noted that regular Indian jet-fuel deliveries to the U.S. West Coast are unlikely, as freight rates and competition from closer Asian suppliers usually make the route uneconomical.
Despite this, the move underscores India’s growing role in global refined fuel trade. With its large, export-oriented refineries, the country has increasingly been supplying markets across Asia, Africa, and now in exceptional cases North America.
The delivery is expected to help ease short-term supply pressure on the U.S. West Coast, where aviation fuel inventories recently dipped to multi-month lows.
