{
  "id": 8654368,
  "title": "China's August oil imports from Russia rise as Middle East flows slump",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/chinas-august-oil-imports-from-russia-rise-as-middle-east-flows-slump",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-20T08:54:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/business/economy/2026/09/1536969/chinas-august-oil-imports-russia-rise-middle-east-flows-slump"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In August, China's crude oil imports from Russia surged to 11.2 million metric tons, or 2.64 million barrels per day, marking a 41% increase compared to the previous year and a 23% rise from the prior month. Meanwhile, imports from Malaysia, the key transshipment hub for sanctioned Iranian oil, dropped to 2.6 million tons, or 620,000 bpd, a 45% decline year-on-year but a 74% increase from July.\n\nImports from Indonesia, which saw a 16% year-on-year increase and flat imports with July, reached 3.1 million tons, or 730,000 bpd. For all of 2024, China had only imported about 100,000 tons of crude from Indonesia, but monthly imports surpassed 2 million tons for the first time in July 2025.\n\nIraq's crude oil shipments to China declined by 75% year-on-year to 1.4 million tons, while Oman's imports fell by 71% to 900,000 tons. The country had recorded no shipments in July. Saudi Arabia's imports were down by 47% to 3.2 million tons, or 740,000 bpd, and the UAE's imports dropped by 4% to 2.9 million tons, or 680,000 bpd, but increased by 20% from July. No crude imports from the United States, Venezuela, or Iran were reported in August, consistent with the previous year.",
  "summary": "BEIJING: 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 per cent from a year earlier and 23 per cent from July.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
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        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/lockheed-martin-f-35-lightning-ii-what-the-24-3-billion-us-saudi-deal",
        "published": "2026-09-18T11:53:52.000Z"
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        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/rory-mcilroy-confesses-love-for-middle-east-ahead-of-dp-world-tour",
        "published": "2026-09-18T12:02:53.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Marhaba Qatar",
        "title": "US Issues Security Alert for Americans in and Travelling Through the Middle East",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/us-issues-security-alert-for-americans-in-and-travelling-through-the",
        "published": "2026-09-20T07:57:26.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}