An aerial view of an oil refinery and petrochemical storage facility in Qingdao City, Shandong Province, China. Photo: Getty Images
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraq’s oil supplies to China during September totaled 4.84 million tons, or about 1.18 million barrels per day, a 19 percent decline compared to the previous year and a 248 percent increase compared to August.
The General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China revealed that the country’s imports of crude oil from Russia, its largest supplier, reached 9.94 million tons (approximately 2.42 million barrels per day) in September, according to Reuters.
China oil imports from Russia in September are 20 percent more than the volumes it received during the same period in 2025, though it marks an 11 percent decline compared to the previous month.
During the first nine months of 2026, Brazil was the second-largest crude oil supplier to China, with imports reaching 44.29 million tons (approximately 324.65 million barrels) from Brazil, compared to 43.12 million tons (around 316.07 million barrels) from Saudi Arabia.
Brazil’s oil supplies to China increased by 18 percent on an annual basis to 5.15 million tons in September alone, or almost 1.25 million barrels per day.
China’s crude oil imports from Saudi Arabia stood at 2.70 million tons, or about 660,000 barrels per day, marking a 62 percent decline compared to the previous year.
Chinese independent refiners increased recently their imports of Iraqi and Qatari crude to compensate for a sharp decline in Iranian oil supplies.
As their stockpiles near depletion, private refineries in China are paying considerable premiums to acquire alternatives, according to Reuters.
Experts see that the step represents a desperate search for alternatives due to logistical obstacles, rather than a true rebound in Chinese domestic crude demand.