Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Beijing

China's crude oil imports from Iraq surged 248% from August to September, reaching 4.84 million tons, or about 1.18 million barrels per day (bpd), despite falling 19% year-on-year, according to Chinese customs data.

Read more: Iraqi oil exports recover after regional conflict

Russia remained China's largest crude supplier, shipping 9.94 million tons, or about 2.42 million bpd, up 20% from a year earlier but down 11% from August. Brazil supplied 5.15 million tons, or about 1.25 million bpd, an 18% annual increase, while Saudi shipments fell 62% to 2.70 million tons, or roughly 660,000 bpd.

Brazil also overtook Saudi Arabia as China's second-largest crude supplier in the first nine months of 2026, shipping 44.29 million tons compared with 43.12 million tons from the Kingdom.

Elsewhere, Chinese imports from Oman reached 1.22 million tons, or about 300,000 bpd, down 54% year-on-year but up 30% from August. Imports from Malaysia, a major transshipment hub for sanctioned Iranian oil, fell 70% year-on-year and 56% from August to 1.16 million tons, or about 280,000 bpd.

Chinese customs recorded no crude imports from the United States, Venezuela, or Iran in September, unchanged from the same month last year.