China — Oil Import Dependency
Detailed breakdown of China's crude oil import profile: share originating from the Middle East, top supplier countries, exposure to Strait of Hormuz transit risk and total net import volume. Sourced from the U.S. EIA, IEA and JODI Oil World Database.
Key statistics
- Region: Asia-Pacific
- Middle East crude oil share: 50%
- Net crude oil imports: 11,300 thousand barrels/day
- Top supplier: Saudi Arabia (16% of imports)
- Strait of Hormuz exposure: 47% of imports transit Hormuz
- Risk tier: High
What this means for China
A sustained Strait of Hormuz disruption would directly affect roughly 47% of China's crude inflows. With 50% of imports sourced from Middle East producers and Saudi Arabia alone supplying 16%, alternative supply requires re-routing through the Cape of Good Hope, the SUMED pipeline or increased reliance on US, Brazilian and West African crudes.
See the full route cost projections and the Hormuz reopening probability model to understand the timeline and cost of alternative supply.
Compare with regional peers (Asia-Pacific)
| Country | ME share | Net imports | Hormuz exposure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 92% | 2,550 kbd | 90% |
| Pakistan | 81% | 150 kbd | 80% |
| Bangladesh | 78% | 110 kbd | 76% |
| South Korea | 76% | 2,780 kbd | 74% |
| Sri Lanka | 72% | 60 kbd | 70% |
| Taiwan | 71% | 800 kbd | 70% |
| Singapore | 68% | 870 kbd | 67% |
| Philippines | 62% | 220 kbd | 60% |