Chinese customs data published on October 20, 2026, revealed that China's crude oil imports sourced from the United Arab Emirates grew by 5 percent year-on-year to 733,000 barrels per day in September.
In contrast, crude arrivals from other major Middle Eastern suppliers contracted significantly. Chinese crude imports from Saudi Arabia fell 62 percent year-on-year to 660,000 barrels per day, while deliveries from Iraq declined by 19 percent year-on-year to 1.18 million barrels per day.
Overall Chinese crude oil intake dropped more than 20 percent year-on-year to 9.03 million barrels per day, which Quantum Commodity Intelligence reported was caused by regional maritime shipping disruptions.
To compensate for the reduced supply from the Gulf, refiners in China increased imports from alternative crude suppliers, including Russia and Brazil.
Sources
- Quantum Commodity Intelligence · 2026-10-20
