Chinese oil refineries are significantly limiting their purchases of Russian oil after the United States and its allies added key Russian producers and some of their clients to the sanctions list. In particular, state giants Sinopec and PetroChina Co. have canceled a number of contracts for the supply of Russian oil in response to the risks of sanctions. Additionally, private Chinese refiners, fearing penalties, are refraining from imports, following the example of Shandong Yulong Petrochemical Co., which was recently blacklisted by the UK and the EU. It is estimated that the “buyer strike” covers approximately 400,000 barrels of daily imports, accounting for 45% of the total volume of Russian oil coming to China.
This is reported by Finway
Dynamics of Russian Oil Supplies to China
Despite the pressure from sanctions, in September 2025, Russia increased its oil supplies to China by 4.4% compared to August, reaching 8.29 million tons. The value of this volume amounted to $4.07 billion. The average daily oil export from Russia to China in September reached 2.02 million barrels per day, exceeding the August figure by 8%. Over the nine months of 2025, Russia remained the largest supplier of oil to China with a total of 74.05 million tons, although this is 8.1% less than in the same period last year.
“During a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump did not discuss oil, prioritizing the stabilization of relations with China and the conclusion of a trade agreement over strict adherence to sanctions. This means that oil will continue to finance the Kremlin’s military machine.”
Turkish Refineries Shift Purchases to Non-Russian Oil
Major oil refineries in Turkey are also reducing their purchases of Russian oil following the introduction of new sanctions. For instance, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery, owned by Azerbaijan’s SOCAR, recently made purchases of four batches of crude oil from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and other alternative sources, which are expected to arrive in December. Another major Turkish refinery, Tupras, is increasing its imports of Iraqi oil grades.
As of the end of October 2025, Turkey imported about 669,000 barrels of crude oil per day, of which 317,000 barrels, or 47%, came from Russia. In comparison, during the same period last year, daily imports amounted to 580,000 barrels, with 333,000 barrels coming from Russia.