Kuwait's crude oil exports to China jump 77.5%

Kuwait's crude oil exports to China jumped 77.5 percent in March from the previous month to 730,000 tons, equivalent to around 173,000 barrels per day (bpd), latest government data showed. Kuwaiti share of Chinese crude oil imports in March was 3.2 percent, compared to 2.0 percent in February, according to the General Administration of Customs. Meanwhile, Kuwait's crude oil exports to the world's second-biggest energy consumer fell 43.9 percent from a year earlier. China's overall imports of crude oil in March declined 2.2 percent year-on-year to 5.45 million bpd. Saudi Arabia remained China's top supplier, although its shipments slid 11.8 percent from a year earlier to 1.04 million, followed by Angola with 807,000 bpd, down 6.1 percent. Iraq became third with imports from the country surging 70.9 percent to 471, 000 bpd. China, Iran's top oil buyer, imported 410,000 bpd oil from Iran in March, up 61.1 percent on the year, despite sanctions by the US and the European Union (EU) on the Middle Eastern nation's oil sales.