World & BusinessChina’s Iranian crude imports reportedly drop 92%–95% from prewar levels
The Kobeissi Letter says Iranian crude imports fell to about 80,000 barrels a day, while China is partially replacing that oil with supplies from Iraq, the UAE, Brazil and Canada.
TLDR
The Kobeissi Letter reported on September 24, 2026 that China imported about 6.9 million barrels of crude a day during September’s first 20 days, compared with an average of about 10.5 million before the Iran war. It puts Iranian crude imports at about 80,000 barrels a day, down from 1 million–1.5 million before the war and on track for the second-lowest level in at least 10 years. The outlet also says China had imported about 600 million fewer barrels of seaborne oil in 2026 to that point than it would have if it had maintained 2025 import levels.
