Gasoline inventories held independently in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) refining and storage hub dropped by more than 14% over the latest reported week, falling to 707,000 metric tons, data from Dutch consultancy Insights Global show. That level marks the lowest gasoline stockpile in the hub since September 2021.
Rick Veringmeier of Insights Global attributed the decline to a combination of rising exports and low refining margins that have reduced incentives for higher output. The consultancy noted that expanding shipments abroad coincided with slimmer returns for refiners, pressuring domestic production volumes.
Other product balances in the ARA hub moved differently through the period. Gasoil inventories were effectively unchanged at 1.78 million tons. Jet fuel holdings contracted by 6.6% to 461,000 tons, while fuel oil inventories edged down by 0.8% to 930,000 tons. Aggregating those positions, total stocks in the hub were reported at 4.24 million tons.
Insights Global also commented on logistical conditions affecting flows through the region. Water levels in the Rhine are reported to be improving gradually, and ship cargo capacities have risen slightly as a result. That improvement in inland waterway conditions may be supporting outbound movements even as refining economics remain weak.
During the week, recorded gasoline exports from the ARA hub included shipments to a broad mix of destinations: Brazil, Canada, Egypt, France, Latvia, Morocco, Poland, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, and regions in West Africa. Incoming gasoline cargoes were logged as arriving from France, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
This reporting is drawn from the weekly dataset released by Insights Global and reflects movements in independently held stocks within the ARA refining and storage complex.