New York bunker suppliers are bracing for distillate shortages that may persist into the fourth quarter and early next year, with HSFO lead times stretched to seven days and VLSFO at five days at the US East Coast hub.

The tightening in New York, where LSMGO can be supplied within three to four days, comes as the harbor reopened this week after a weekend storm closure. Traffic is expected to take a few days to clear.

"Demand is steady and the market is normal. Availability is in good shape and we're seeing very few tight spots," a bunker trader said of the broader US Gulf.

A source said worries about shortages lasting into Q4 and early next year have grown as New York distillate stocks tighten. Winds of 5–15 knots and 1–2 foot seas are forecast for the rest of the week.

What is the bunker picture across Houston and the US Gulf?

Houston is healthy. All three conventional grades are deliverable within four to eight days. In the Galveston Offshore Lightering Area (GOLA), HSFO and LSMGO clear in three to four days, while VLSFO requires roughly five days. The shortest LSMGO window at the anchorage runs one to two days.

A ship agent flagged a seasonal risk: terminal operators in Houston should plan for extended fog-related closures as winter approaches.

No tropical cyclones are active in the Atlantic, and the National Hurricane Center does not expect any to form over the next seven days. The Eastern Pacific carries advisories for Hurricane Rachel and Tropical Depression Nineteen-E, with Tropical Storm Nolo in the Central Pacific.

How are West Coast and Canadian ports positioned?

Los Angeles bunkering continues normally. Suppliers advised lead times of six to eight days for HSFO and VLSFO, and five to seven days for LSMGO.

In Vancouver, HSFO stems are available by 4–5 October, with VLSFO and LSMGO deliverable within four to eight days.

What is the bunker outlook across Latin America?

Panama is reporting good availability at Balboa and Cristobal, with all three grades deliverable within three to six days. Some HSFO tightness is expected, a supplier said.

In Colombia, Cartagena, Santa Marta and Barranquilla show good VLSFO and LSMGO availability, with earliest deliveries in three to four days.

Callao in Peru splits sharply. VLSFO is normal at three to seven days, but HSFO and LSMGO are tight, with lead times exceeding a week to ten days, and HSFO available only under prior consultation.

Chile has lost HSFO entirely. VLSFO and LSMGO are available across Chilean ports within three to seven days.

Where has HSFO returned in Brazil?

Petrobras began selling HSFO at Rio de Janeiro earlier this week, ending the grade's absence in the country. All three grades in Rio are available under prior consultation, but VLSFO and LSMGO remain tight, with lead times of more than a week to ten days.

Santos, Brazil's largest container hub, continues to see congestion. VLSFO and LSMGO stems run three to seven days. Paranagua is very tight for both grades and requires prior consultation.

The earliest VLSFO and LSMGO stems in Rio Grande are scheduled for 6 October. At Belem and Vila do Conde, recommended lead times run three to seven days.

Will Argentina's anchorage face weather suspensions?

Argentina's Zona Comun is the tightest market in the region. Both grades are available only under prior consultation.

Weather at the anchorage is rough, and operations are expected to be suspended if wind gusts exceed 20 knots — a threshold operators are watching as Q4 demand builds.

With Houston's winter fog season approaching and New York distillate stocks tightening, ship operators are tracking whether lead times stretch further before year-end — even as the Atlantic hurricane outlook stays clear for the next seven days.