SINGAPORE, April 21 (Reuters) - Asia's spot differential for very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) rose slightly on Monday, with some trades emerging at rangebound premiums from last week.

The cash differential traded at a premium of $3.50 a metric ton over Singapore quotes, while backwardation for the May/June contract widened slightly versus the previous trading day.

Benchmarks for VLSFO have recovered in recent sessions but remained capped amid a lack of bullish drivers for both supply and demand, industry sources said.

Elsewhere, a recent atmospheric residue cargo from the Dangote refinery was sold at a premium near $9 a metric ton over Rotterdam quotes to a Middle Eastern trading house, said sources. The cargo is expected to load between April 24 and 26, Reuters reported last week.

Separately, a couple of spot trades for 380-cst high sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) emerged on Monday, with differentials trading steadily in discounts to Singapore quotes.

Meanwhile, refining margins for fuel oil fell on Monday. Singapore cracks for 380-cst HSFO FO380BRTCKMc1 closed at premiums near 30 cents a barrel, while cracks for VLSFO LFO05SGBRTCMc1 closed at premiums of $8.65 a barrel, based on LSEG data.

CHINA DATA

China's fuel oil imports edged lower in March, totalling 1.38 million tons, customs data showed. Purchases of fuel oil to be used as feedstock remained capped as independent refiners grappled with tepid domestic demand.

Meanwhile, exports of low-sulphur marine fuels climbed to 1.75 million tons in March. Bunker prices at key Chinese ports Zhoushan and Shanghai remained cheaper than at the Singapore hub during the month.

OTHER NEWS

- Oil prices fell on Monday on signs of progress in talks between the U.S. and Iran, while investors remained concerned about economic headwinds from tariffs which could curb demand for fuel. O/R

- Azerbaijan's oil company SOCAR has resumed operations at an oil refinery in Baku after a 40-day shutdown caused by maintenance works after a fire, a source in the company told Reuters.

- Indonesia will increase imports of U.S. food and commodities and reduce orders from countries where the Southeast Asian nation currently buys the products, chief economic minister Airlangga Hartarto told reporters in Washington.

- A number of multinational oil and gas companies including Chevron have exited their Red Sea oil and gas concession blocks after making no finds and have channelled their resources elsewhere in the country, the Egyptian petroleum ministry said.

WINDOW TRADES O/AS

- 180-cst HSFO: No trade

- 380-cst HSFO: Two trades

- 0.5% VLSFO: Three trades

ASSESSMENTS

(Reporting by Jeslyn Lerh; Editing by Shreya Biswas)

((jeslyn.lerh@thomsonreuters.com))