China’s Oil Imports Set To Soar Despite Slow Start To 2023

Chinese energy commodity imports were underwhelming in the first two months of 2023, but they are expected to pick up later this year with potentially record-high crude oil purchases, even though Beijing has set its lowest annual economic growth target in decades.     In January and February, months in which China reports trade data together to remove distortions around the fluctuating week-long Lunar New Year holiday, Chinese imports of crude oil and natural gas fell compared to 2022. But arrivals of iron ore—the key…