China's August oil imports from Russia rise as Middle East flows slump

BEIJING, Sept 20 (Reuters) — China's crude oil imports from Russia stood at 11.2 million metric tons in August, or 2.64 million barrels per day (bpd), up 41% from a year earlier and 23% from July. Imports from Malaysia, the largest transshipment hub for sanctioned Iranian oil, reached 2.6 million tons, or 620,000 bpd, down45% year on year but up 74% from July. Imports from Indonesia stood at 3.1 million tons, or 730,000 bpd, up 16% year on year and flat with July. China imported about 100,000 tons of crude from Indonesia in all of 2024, but monthly imports first exceeded 2 million tons in July 2025. Reuters has previously reported that the surge in imports from Indonesia could reflect efforts to disguise shipments of sanctioned Iranian crude transshipped in waters off Malaysia. Imports from Iraq stood at 1.4 million tons, down 75% from a year earlier, while imports from Oman reached 900,000 tons, down 71% year-on-year, after China recorded no shipments from the country in July. Imports from the Saudi Arabia stood at 3.2 million tons, or 740,000 bpd, down 47% year on year and down 41% from July. Imports from the United Arab Emirates stood at 2.9 million tons, or 680,000 bpd, down 4%