China Increases Russian Oil and LNG Imports Through April as Oil Prices Climb

Overview

• Official customs data for January–April 2026 show China bought 40.83 million tons of Russian crude, up 26% year over year, keeping Russia as its top oil supplier.
• In April, crude volumes from Russia fell 10.8% from March to 8.97 million tons, yet the value of those shipments rose 18.6% to $6.31 billion.
• SCMP reports that discounts on Russian barrels have narrowed after closures in the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. extensions of waivers for already-loaded cargoes increased competition for those supplies.
• China’s supplier mix shifted for oil in January–April: Saudi Arabia delivered 22.97 million tons, down 10.3%, Brazil surged to 20.91 million tons, Malaysia fell to 17.49 million tons, and Indonesia jumped to 14.1 million tons.
• For LNG, Russia ranked fourth for January–April at 2.02 million tons, up 16% by volume as value fell 4.6% to $992.77 million, and April purchases from Russia rose from March while Australia led overall at 5.35 million tons and customs reported no U.S. cargoes.