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China's crude oil imports rose by 9.5% in 2019, gas imports by 6.9%

According to preliminary data from the General Administration of Customs, China’s energy imports continued to increase in 2019. Crude oil imports rose by 9.5% to nearly 506 Mt (10.1 mb/d), as two 400,000 bbl/d refineries commissioned in 2019 – Hengli Petrochemical in Dalian (northeast China) and Zhejiang Petroleum and Chemical in Zhoushan (eastern China) – are fostering China’s crude oil demand. Meanwhile, imports of petroleum products declined by 8.7% in 2019 to 31 Mt, and that of fuel oil by nearly 11% to less than 15 Mt. Natural gas imports continued to grow in 2019 (+6.9%), as China is seeking to raise the share of gas in its energy mix. Coal and lignite imports increased again (+6.3%), reaching 300 Mt.​ 

In 2019, China exported 67 Mt of petroleum products (+14%) , 6 Mt of coal and lignite (+22%) and 6.5 Mt of coke and semi-coke (-33%).