22.09.2026, 00:36
China increased Russian oil imports by 41% in August
Source: OREANDA-NEWS
OREANDA-NEWS China's oil imports increased in August due to increased supplies from Russia; purchases from other major exporting countries decreased, primarily from Saudi Arabia - almost by half, according to "Interfax" calculations based on data from the General Customs Administration (GTU) of China.
In August, China continued to gradually increase oil imports after reducing them to a decade-low in early summer, increasing the figure by 6.2% to 8.93 million barrels per day (bpd) by July. However, compared to August 2025, the indicator was 22.9% lower.
Russia was actually the only one of the leading suppliers that was able to increase oil shipments to China in August, the total volume of which reached 2.64 million b/d (or 11.22 million tons for the whole month). Compared to July, the indicator increased by 22.6%, and by 41.3% in the same month last year. Beijing's spending on Russian oil amounted to $6.47 billion.
China's total oil imports from the Middle East last month were also close to 2.6 million bpd (or almost 11 million tons per month). The key supplier of the region, Saudi Arabia, reduced oil exports to China by almost half compared to July, to 742 thousand b/d. This is also 41% lower than in August last year. The UAE, in turn, is gradually regaining its share in the Chinese market, increasing oil supplies by almost 20% to 685,000 bpd by July. However, this is 3.5% lower than in August last year.
Brazil became the second largest oil exporter to China. At the same time, supplies from the country decreased both relative to July (by almost 25%) and relative to August 2025 (by almost 28%), amounting to 882 thousand bpd.
Shipments from Malaysia, which is traditionally considered the main intermediary point for the delivery of oil from Iran to China, increased 1.7 times in August compared to July, to 616 thousand b/d, but this is still lower than the level of the same month last year. Imports from Indonesia, through which Iranian oil flows can also pass, remained virtually unchanged compared to July and amounted to 730 thousand b/d.
According to the results of eight months, Russia remains the leading oil exporter to China by a margin, having supplied almost 77.65 million tons (or 2.33 million b/d; +18.1%). This is followed by Saudi Arabia - 40.42 million tons (or 1.21 million b/d; -22.9%), Brazil - 39.15 million tons (or 1.18 million b/d; +35.2%), Indonesia - 26.25 million tons (or 780 thousand b/d; in 2025, over the same period, only about 6 million tons), Malaysia - 24.26 million tons (or 730 thousand b/d; almost half as much as a year earlier).
In August, China continued to gradually increase oil imports after reducing them to a decade-low in early summer, increasing the figure by 6.2% to 8.93 million barrels per day (bpd) by July. However, compared to August 2025, the indicator was 22.9% lower.
Russia was actually the only one of the leading suppliers that was able to increase oil shipments to China in August, the total volume of which reached 2.64 million b/d (or 11.22 million tons for the whole month). Compared to July, the indicator increased by 22.6%, and by 41.3% in the same month last year. Beijing's spending on Russian oil amounted to $6.47 billion.
China's total oil imports from the Middle East last month were also close to 2.6 million bpd (or almost 11 million tons per month). The key supplier of the region, Saudi Arabia, reduced oil exports to China by almost half compared to July, to 742 thousand b/d. This is also 41% lower than in August last year. The UAE, in turn, is gradually regaining its share in the Chinese market, increasing oil supplies by almost 20% to 685,000 bpd by July. However, this is 3.5% lower than in August last year.
Brazil became the second largest oil exporter to China. At the same time, supplies from the country decreased both relative to July (by almost 25%) and relative to August 2025 (by almost 28%), amounting to 882 thousand bpd.
Shipments from Malaysia, which is traditionally considered the main intermediary point for the delivery of oil from Iran to China, increased 1.7 times in August compared to July, to 616 thousand b/d, but this is still lower than the level of the same month last year. Imports from Indonesia, through which Iranian oil flows can also pass, remained virtually unchanged compared to July and amounted to 730 thousand b/d.
According to the results of eight months, Russia remains the leading oil exporter to China by a margin, having supplied almost 77.65 million tons (or 2.33 million b/d; +18.1%). This is followed by Saudi Arabia - 40.42 million tons (or 1.21 million b/d; -22.9%), Brazil - 39.15 million tons (or 1.18 million b/d; +35.2%), Indonesia - 26.25 million tons (or 780 thousand b/d; in 2025, over the same period, only about 6 million tons), Malaysia - 24.26 million tons (or 730 thousand b/d; almost half as much as a year earlier).
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