China’s crude imports drop in April - JLC

China imported about 48.06 million mt of crude oil in April, market intelligence provider JLC reported, citing data from the General Administration of Customs (GACC).

IMAGE: China's flag on satin and oil refineries in the background. Getty Images

The daily crude oil imports in April stood at 11.7 million b/d, a decline of 3.4% from March, JLC reported.

“Chinese companies reduced their purchase of imported crude for arrival in April, after buying large volumes for March arrivals amid worries about tightening supply,” JLC said.

Besides, Chinese state-owned refineries reduced operations in April because of peak maintenance.

A decrease in crude imports to the world’s second-largest crude consume may put some downward pressure on Brent crude’s price, according to market analysts.

On a year-on-year basis, China’s crude imports in April were about 7.5% higher than the corresponding month in 2024.

The country imported a total of about 183.03 million mt of crude in the first four months of this year, slightly higher than the corresponding period in 2024, according to JLC.

By Aparupa Mazumder

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