China's refined oil product exports in May dropped by 23.6 per cent from the same period last year, customs data showed on Thursday, curbed by fuel export restrictions that came into effect in mid-March.
The refined oil exports, which include diesel, gasoline, aviation fuel and marine fuel, totalled 3.37 million tonnes in May, according to data from the General Administration of Customs.
Beijing started the fuel export restriction in mid-March to limit the impact of the Iran war on domestic supply, with designated volume exported to countries in Southeast Asia and other regions. The restriction also excluded exports to Hong Kong and Macau, as well as aviation fuel refuelling for international flights and bunker sales for shippers on international voyages.
Jet fuel exports in May slumped 44.9 per cent to 1.06 million tonnes, while diesel exports dropped 31.1 per cent to 350,000 tonnes. Gasoline exports plunged 95.2 per cent to only 30,000 tonnes.
In the first five months of 2026, China exported 19.23 million tonnes of refined oil, down 12.0 per cent year-on-year.
The data also showed LNG imports rose 1.6 per cent year-on-year to 4.86 million tonnes in May, rebounding from April's eight-year low. The first five months of 2026 saw 22.76 million tonnes of LNG imports, down 8.2 per cent from the same period last year.
(Reporting by Sam Li and Lewis Jackson; Editing by Janane Venkatraman)