Marine insurer Gard says sulphur-related bunker cases more than tripled year on year in the first half of 2026, with the six-month total already about 40% above the number recorded for all of 2025.
The surge has coincided with tighter enforcement by Chinese maritime authorities, particularly around the Bohai Sea, although Gard did not establish that the inspections caused the increase in claims.
Gard deputy underwriter Christina Kwok and loss prevention executive Bruce Liu said in the 12 August note that excessive sulphur content can become a MARPOL compliance issue, exposing vessels to delays, enforcement action and substantial debunkering and fuel-disposal costs.
Maritime authorities in Tianjin, Hebei, Liaoning and Shandong launched a joint ship-pollution prevention campaign on 5 June that is expected to run for nearly five months. It covers Tianjin, Tangshan, Qinhuangdao, Huanghua, Jinzhou, Yingkou and Longkou and includes checks on SOx emissions and fuel compliance, onboard inspections, unannounced spot checks and remote monitoring using drones, patrol vessels, shore-based systems and rapid fuel-testing devices.
Gard cited a recent case involving an unidentified vessel at Panjin, China, where Maritime Safety Administration officers sampled fuel in use in the boiler system. Portable tests indicated sulphur content of 2.5% to 2.7%. Three samples were drawn, with two retained for laboratory testing and one left on board. Laboratory analysis confirmed sulphur content of 2.51%, above the applicable regulatory limit. The master was ordered to stop using the fuel and submit a disposal plan. The final administrative penalty had not been determined.
China’s Air Pollution Prevention and Control Law allows fines of RMB 10,000 to RMB 100,000 ($1,470 to $14,720) for non-compliant vessel fuel, with potential liability extending to shipowners, operators and managers.
The latest figures follow more than 70 bunker-related claims handled by Gard between January and May 2026, 50% more than a year earlier. Almost all involved fuel quality, with very low sulphur fuel oil accounting for the vast majority of bunker-quality claims.
Gard is a shipowner-controlled provider of protection and indemnity, marine and energy insurance. Founded in Arendal, Norway, in 1907, it operates 15 offices worldwide and had 784 employees in its latest published company profile. The insurer covers around half of the global merchant fleet and recorded gross written premium of $1.312bn at the end of 2025.