Dangote Refinery is making a strong impact on the global fuel market, with its jet fuel exports to the United States reaching a two-year high in March according to reports by Reuters.
The increase in supply is expected to help reduce U.S. jet fuel prices ahead of the summer travel season, experts say.
The 650,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) Dangote Refinery, Africa’s largest, is already changing fuel trading patterns. Analysts say it is emerging as a key supplier in the Atlantic Basin, competing with European refiners on gasoline exports and now challenging U.S. producers with jet fuel.
Six vessels carrying about 1.7 million barrels of jet fuel from Dangote Refinery arrived in the U.S. in March, according to ship-tracking service Kpler. Another vessel, Hafnia Andromeda, is set to arrive at the Everglades terminal on March 29 with about 348,000 barrels of jet fuel.
As a result, U.S. jet fuel imports have risen to 226,000 barrels per day (bpd) in March, the highest since February 2023, according to data.
The influx of Dangote’s jet fuel is expected to lower fuel prices in the U.S. ahead of the busy summer travel season.
TankTiger’s Chief Operating Officer, Steven Barsamian, noted that demand to lease storage tanks for jet fuel in Houston and New York Harbor has jumped to around 700,000 barrels for April, about five to six times the average demand.
“The increase in supply, partly due to imports from Nigeria, is likely to put downward pressure on U.S. jet fuel prices,” Barsamian said.
Despite the success, some experts believe Dangote may not become a regular supplier of jet fuel to the U.S. The recent shutdown of the Phillips 66 Bayway refinery in New Jersey created a rare opportunity for Nigerian fuel to enter the U.S. market.
“The window for Nigerian jet fuel exports to the U.S. is likely to close soon due to high U.S. fuel inventories,” James Noel-Beswick, an analyst at Sparta Commodities, said.
Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows that U.S. jet fuel stocks ended February at 45.2 million barrels, the highest level for the month since 1999.
Since starting production in January 2024, the Dangote Refinery has been increasing its fuel exports, reaching about 85% of capacity in February 2025. It has already sent shipments to Europe and Saudi Aramco, showing its growing influence beyond Africa.
Experts say Dangote’s entry into global markets could reshape energy trade flows, giving Nigeria a bigger role in the international fuel industry.
