Worldstopexports.com recently posted an article titled "Top 15 Crude Oil Suppliers to China" by Daniel Workman.
In 2023, 15 crude exporters accounted for 89 percent of China's total crude imports. The top supplier was Russia ($94 billion or 18.3 percent of China's imports in 2023), followed by Saudi Arabia ($55 billion or 10.7 percent), and Malaysia ($45.5 billion or 8.8 percent).
The only African country among the top 15 was Angola at number 12 ($18.8 billion or 3.7 percent). Even the United States surpassed Angola as a supplier of crude to China at number 9 ($22.4 billion or 4.3 percent). Angolan exports of crude to China in 2023 slipped 18.5 percent compared with 2022. China imported small amounts of crude from a few other African countries such as Congo Brazzaville. This is a sharp reversal of the situation earlier this century when briefly almost one-third of China's crude oil imports originated in Africa.
Although Iran was not included on the list of China's 15 top crude suppliers in 2023, it is estimated to have provided about 10 percent of the country's total imports. Small independent Chinese refiners known as "teapots" purchased at deep discount about 90 percent of Iran's crude destined for China. In order to avoid sanctions, this crude was passed off as originating in Malaysia or the UAE. For an account of Iranian exports to China, see "Exclusive: Iran's Oil Trade with China Stalls as Tehran Demands Higher Prices."
Comment: This significant reduction in China's crude oil imports from Africa may tend to diminish Beijing's strategic interest in the continent, although it continues to rely heavily on the importation of certain critical minerals such as cobalt, tantalum, and manganese. In addition, sourcing crude oil imports is a dynamic process with a history of quick movement in and out of markets. As the global political and economic situation evolves, Africa may one day return to favor as a major source of crude for China.
