China Crude Oil Imports Reach Seven-Month High on Gulf Shipments

China's crude oil imports increased to 41.94 million tonnes in October 2026, marking the highest monthly volume since March, according to a report by Oil & Gas Middle East.

Data from commodity intelligence firm Kpler indicates that seaborne arrivals into China grew by 12 percent month-on-month compared to September, reaching approximately 9.2 million barrels per day.

The volume growth was driven by deliveries from Gulf producers. Chinese refiners purchased at least 12 million barrels of Qatari and Iraqi crude to compensate for supply shortfalls from other sources.

During October, Iraq's exports alone averaged 3.5 million barrels per day, reinforcing supply corridors between Gulf oil producers and China's domestic refining sector.