China's September refined fuel exports surge amid Iran war, diesel exports more than triple

China's refined fuel exports skyrocketed by 39.4% in September compared to the previous year, with diesel exports reaching their highest level in over three years, according to customs data released on Sunday. The surge in exports was attributed to the ongoing Iran war and other conflicts in the Middle East, which have caused a global fuel shortage.

China, a major exporter of refined oil products in Asia, imposed export restrictions on diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel in mid-March to protect domestic supplies, but lifted the curbs in mid-July. Despite the restrictions, China's refined oil product exports, which include diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, and marine fuel, increased by 19% in September to 7.16 million metric tons, continuing a strong growth trend from the previous month.

The country's exports of refined oil products for the first three quarters of the year reached 41.4 million tons, a 3.7% decrease year-on-year. China's combined exports of gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel totaled 4.41 million tons in September, marking a 56% increase compared to September last year and surpassing the 2025 monthly average of three million tons.

Jet fuel exports grew by 16.7% year-on-year to 1.94 million tons in September. In the first nine months, jet fuel exports amounted to 13.7 million tons, down 11% year-on-year. Diesel exports surged 262.3% year-on-year to 1.85 million tons in September, reaching their highest level since February 2023. From January to September, China exported 3.04 million tons of gasoline, down 51.9% year-on-year.

The data also revealed that China's liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports declined by 1.4% year-on-year to 5.61 million tons in September, with LNG imports totaling 44.62 million tons in the first nine months of the year.