Chinese oil refineries have sharply reduced their purchases of Russian oil after the U.S. and its allies added leading energy companies of the Russian Federation and some of their clients to the sanctions lists. State corporations Sinopec and PetroChina Co. have rejected some shipments and are also refraining from new contracts with Russian suppliers. This is due to fears of becoming subject to penalties, similar to Shandong Yulong Petrochemical Co., which recently fell under sanctions from the UK and EU. The refusal of Chinese buyers has affected approximately 400,000 barrels of oil per day, which accounts for nearly 45% of all oil imports from Russia to China.
This is reported by Business • Media
Despite Sanctions, Supply Volumes Increased
At the same time, in September 2025, Russia increased oil supplies to China by 4.4% compared to August, reaching 8.29 million tons. The total value of these supplies is estimated at $4.07 billion. The average daily oil export from Russia to China in September was 2.02 million barrels, which is 8% more than in the previous month. Over the first nine months of 2025, Russia maintained its position as the largest oil supplier to China, shipping 74.05 million tons, although this is 8.1% less than last year.
“During a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, U.S. President Donald Trump did not discuss the topic of oil, prioritizing the stabilization of relations with China and the conclusion of a trade agreement over strict adherence to sanctions. This means that oil will continue to finance the Kremlin’s military machine.”
Turkey Alters Its Oil Import Structure
Significant changes are also being observed in Turkey. The country’s largest oil refineries have begun actively purchasing non-Russian oil following the implementation of new Western sanctions. In particular, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery, owned by the Azerbaijani company SOCAR, recently purchased four batches of crude oil from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and other countries besides Russia, with delivery scheduled for December. Another major player, Tupras, is increasing its volumes of Iraqi oil purchases.
In the first ten months of 2025, Turkey imported about 669,000 barrels of crude oil per day, of which 317,000, or nearly 47%, came from Russia. In comparison, during the same period last year, the daily import of crude oil was 580,000 barrels, of which 333,000 barrels were supplied from the Russian Federation.