AN A330 WITH A MIN FUEL; NO DELAY REQUEST WAS INFORMED THAT ATC DECLARED AN EMERGENCY FOR THEM BECAUSE OF MINIMUM FUEL.

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I WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN ATC HAD DECLARED AN EMERGENCY FOR US. THERE WAS NO TCAS INVOLVEMENT. ATC DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITHOUT OUR INPUT. WE WERE GIVEN HOLDING INBOUND TO ZZZ. CENTER SAID ZZZ HAD LOST A RWY AND THE HOLD WAS INDEFINITE. WE DETERMINED OUR FILED ALTERNATE WAS NO LONGER FEASIBLE DUE TO THUNDERSTORMS. I CALLED DISPATCH ON THE SAT PHONE AND WE CHANGED ALTERNATE. WE THEN DETERMINED WE HAD FUEL FOR ONLY 3 TURNS IN THE PATTERN AND ADVISED ATC AND THE DISPATCHER THAT WE WERE DECLARING MINIMUM FUEL AND THAT IF WE DID NOT START INBOUND FOR ZZZ WE WOULD HAVE TO PROCEED TO OUR ALTERNATE. THE DISPATCHER ACARS'ED THAT HE AGREED. WE WERE THEN GIVEN A HEADING TOWARDS ZZZ AND HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER CENTER. TO CLARIFY; I ASKED CENTER IF HE WAS AWARE OF OUR MIN FUEL DECLARATION; AND THAT WE COULD NOT ACCEPT FURTHER HOLDS INTO ZZZ. HE STATED THAT THE CENTER HAD DECLARED AN EMERGENCY FOR US. I STATED THAT WE WERE NOT IN AN EMERGENCY CONDITION AND THAT OUR SITUATION WAS THAT IF THEY TRIED TO GIVE US A HOLDING CLEARANCE THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO PROCEED IMMEDIATELY TO OUR ALTERNATE ZZZ1. HE SAID THEY UNDERSTOOD AND THAT THEY HAD STILL DECLARED AN EMERGENCY FOR US. WE CONTINUED TO ZZZ WITH MINOR DEVIATIONS FOR THUNDERSTORMS AND MADE A NORMAL LANDING IN ZZZ. COMPANY POLICY IS TO CARRY MINIMUM AMOUNT OF FUEL AND ACCEPT DIVERSIONS TO ALTERNATE. TO AVOID THIS WE SHOULD BE CARRYING MORE CONTINGENCY FUEL. ATC SHOULD INFORM ACFT THAT AN EMERGENCY HAS BEEN DECLARED FOR THEM.