Reuters, Beijing, Oct 24, 2012 – China’s crude oil imports from Iran fell 24.1 percent in September from a year earlier but were up 3 percent from a month earlier, data showed on Wednesday.
China, Iran’s top oil customer, bought 1.57 million tonnes of Iranian crude in September, equivalent to about 382, 400 barrels per day (bpd), versus 371, 000 bpd in August, according to data from the General Administration of Customs.
China imported 504, 000 bpd of Iranian crude in September 2011.
Imports for the first nine months totalled 420, 800 bpd, 22 percent below year-earlier levels, largely because of steep cuts made in the first quarter as China and Iran wrangled over contract terms.
(1 Tonne=7.3 barrels) (Reporting by Judy Hua and David Stanway; Editing by Ken Wills)