China's April Crude Oil Imports Hit 4-Year Low, Down 20% Year-on-Year
China's crude oil imports in April fell to a nearly four-year low, decreasing by 20% year-on-year to 38.471 million tons, largely due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Middle East instability has also led China to tighten controls on refined product exports.
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- 📰 Published: May 9, 2026 at 18:45
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Liao Wen-chi, Shanghai 9th) Affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, China's crude oil imports in April fell to a nearly four-year low. Data released today by the General Administration of Customs of China shows that China's crude oil imports in April decreased by 20% compared to the same period last year, to 38.471 million tons.
Singapore United Daily News reported that as the world's largest oil importer, China obtains about half of its crude oil imports from the Middle East. With the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the number of oil tankers carrying crude oil and refined products has significantly decreased, affecting global energy transportation.
The data released by the Chinese authorities today did not differentiate between seaborne crude oil and crude oil imported through pipelines. However, the report cited data from vessel tracking company Kpler, showing that China's seaborne crude oil imports in April were 8.03 million barrels per day, also a new low since July 2022.
Despite the significant decline in April imports, China's total crude oil imports for the first four months of this year still reached 185.292 million tons, an increase of 1.3% year-on-year. The report cited estimates from vessel tracking agency Vortexa, suggesting that China's crude oil inventories still increased by 17 million barrels in April, but inventories are expected to decline in May.
The report also mentioned that the volatile situation in the Middle East has prompted China to strengthen controls over exports of refined products such as gasoline and aviation fuel to ensure domestic market supply. Under the influence of relevant policies, China's refined oil exports in April fell to 3.119 million tons, a decrease of about one-third from March, reaching a nearly 10-year low.
In addition, China's natural gas imports in April decreased by 13% compared to the same period last year, to 8.418 million tons. However, official data also did not differentiate between seaborne liquefied natural gas (LNG) and pipeline natural gas. The report pointed out that China imports a large amount of liquefied natural gas from the Middle East Gulf region. (Editor: Yang Sheng-ru) 1150509
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(Central News Agency reporter Liao Wen-chi, Shanghai 9th) Affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, China's crude oil imports in April fell to a nearly four-year low. Data released today by the General Administration of Customs of China shows that China's crude oil imports in April decreased by 20% compared to the same period last year, to 38.471 million tons.
Singapore United Daily News reported that as the world's largest oil importer, China obtains about half of its crude oil imports from the Middle East. With the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the number of oil tankers carrying crude oil and refined products has significantly decreased, affecting global energy transportation.
The data released by the Chinese authorities today did not differentiate between seaborne crude oil and crude oil imported through pipelines. However, the report cited data from vessel tracking company Kpler, showing that China's seaborne crude oil imports in April were 8.03 million barrels per day, also a new low since July 2022.
Despite the significant decline in April imports, China's total crude oil imports for the first four months of this year still reached 185.292 million tons, an increase of 1.3% year-on-year. The report cited estimates from vessel tracking agency Vortexa, suggesting that China's crude oil inventories still increased by 17 million barrels in April, but inventories are expected to decline in May.
The report also mentioned that the volatile situation in the Middle East has prompted China to strengthen controls over exports of refined products such as gasoline and aviation fuel to ensure domestic market supply. Under the influence of relevant policies, China's refined oil exports in April fell to 3.119 million tons, a decrease of about one-third from March, reaching a nearly 10-year low.
In addition, China's natural gas imports in April decreased by 13% compared to the same period last year, to 8.418 million tons. However, official data also did not differentiate between seaborne liquefied natural gas (LNG) and pipeline natural gas. The report pointed out that China imports a large amount of liquefied natural gas from the Middle East Gulf region. (Editor: Yang Sheng-ru) 1150509
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship is a force to protect press freedom.
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Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.