Beijing: China’s imports of Iranian crude in April more than doubled from a year ago to a record near 800,000 barrels per day (bpd), again pushing Asia’s monthly intake from the OPEC member above what is allowed under the temporary deal easing sanctions on Tehran.
China’s imports, added to India’s shipments of about 225,000 bpd in April and South Korea’s 135,000 bpd, put Asia’s purchases of Iranian crude for last month over the 1 million bpd limit — with Japan still to report its oil import data later in May.
Under the temporary deal that went into effect in January, Iran’s exports are supposed to be held at an average 1 million bpd for the six months to July 20, but shipments arriving in Asia have topped that mark since November, according to customs and ship tracking data.
China’s crude imports from Iran in April rose 115.3 per cent to 799,865 bpd, customs data showed on Wednesday, accelerating a rise in its intake from the OPEC member after the November nuclear deal that eased some sanctions on Tehran.
