What are ship supplies

Ship supplies are what a vessel takes on for its own consumption during a call: fuel, water, provisions and stores. In port statistics they are counted in tonnes, separately from cargo.

Most ship supplies, by weight, are fuel, and that part is known as bunkering. The rest is water, provisions, lubricants and spare parts that the ship needs to continue its voyage.

Ports located on the main shipping routes concentrate this business, because ships take advantage of their passage to refuel without deviating. In Spain the ports of the Strait of Gibraltar and of the Canary Islands stand out.