U.S. Sanctions Disrupt Chinese Teapots’ Purchases of Iranian Oil

Independent Chinese refiners have started to experience difficulties in procuring cheap Iranian crude oil while others have stopped purchases from Iran, after the United States sanctioned two independent refiners in the past two months, sources with knowledge of the issue have told Reuters. Chinese crude oil imports topped 12 million barrels per day (bpd) in March, the highest volume since August 2023, as flows of Iranian and Russian crude rebounded from the lows seen early this year with the U.S. sanctions. However, in March and April, the U.S.…