China's oil imports recorded a sharp decline during the past month of April, reaching their lowest level in nearly four years, amid the repercussions of tensions related to the war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important maritime passages for global energy flow.
According to data issued by Chinese customs today, Saturday (May 9, 2026), crude oil imports decreased by 20% compared to the same period last year, reaching 38.5 million tons, the lowest level since July 2022.
China, the world's largest oil importer, relies on the Middle East to secure nearly half of its crude oil needs, while the disruption of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz has reduced the number of tankers heading to global markets, including China.
The Chinese data does not distinguish between seaborne oil and pipeline supplies, but data from the specialized ship-tracking company "Kpler" showed that seaborne crude imports reached 8.03 million barrels per day, also the lowest level since mid-2022.
Despite the decline in imports, estimates from the company "Vortexa" indicated that crude oil inventories in China rose by about 17 million barrels during April, but it expected them to decline during May due to changes in supplies.
In a related context, the state of turmoil in the Middle East prompted Beijing to impose strict restrictions on exports of refined petroleum products such as gasoline and jet fuel, which led to a decline in exports of these products in April to their lowest level in nearly a decade, recording 3.1 million tons, a decrease of approximately one-third compared to March.
The data also included a 13% decline in natural gas imports, reaching 8.42 million tons, without distinguishing between liquefied natural gas transported by sea and gas via pipelines, noting that China relies heavily on liquefied natural gas imports from Gulf countries.
Despite the monthly decline, China's crude oil imports during the first four months of this year remain up by 1.3% compared to the same period last year, reaching 185.3 million tons.
