In June, China's crude oil imports plummeted to their lowest point in nearly ten years, succumbing to the combined pressures of the Middle East conflict and a substantial downturn in domestic demand. Customs data reveals that imports for the month plummeted to 29.272 million tons, marking a significant 41.33% decrease from the previous year and an 11.51% drop from the preceding month. This figure represents the lowest level since October 2016. Given that the Middle East region usually supplies roughly half of China's crude oil imports, this sharp decline underscores the far-reaching consequences of geopolitical tensions and shifts in domestic consumption patterns on China's energy landscape.
