Top buyers China, India, Japan and South Korea imported a total 1.62 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude from Iran in April, up 3.2% from the previous month to the highest since July, Reuters cited data from government and trade sources on Friday.
China's imports in April nearly touched 800,000 bpd, a level not seen since 2014 when global powers and Iran were working on the nuclear agreement, known as JCPOA.
South Korea became the second-largest importer of Iranian oil in April after India scaled back, with Korea's imports at about 416,000 bpd, the highest for the country since 2017. The world's fifth-largest crude oil importer had been heavily reliant on Iranian condensate, an ultra-light oil used for petrochemical production.
Last November, the United States allowed Iran's eight largest buyers to continue importing oil from Tehran for 180 days, but Washington announced in April that it will not extend the waivers.
MA/PR
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