China Gives Small Refiners More Crude Quotas Amid Iran Oil Disruption

An oil tanker is docked unloading crude oil at the port in Qingdao, in China's eastern Shandong province, on March 25, 2026. (Photo by CN-STR / AFP) / CHINA OUT
An oil tanker unloading crude oil at the Qingdao port, in China's eastern Shandong province, on March 25, 2026. Photo by CN-STR / AFP

China granted additional crude import quotas to independent “teapot” refiners as it tries to keep fuel production steady during supply disruptions linked to the Iran crisis. The move is aimed at helping those plants maintain officially mandated output levels even as Persian Gulf flows have been strained.

The decision underscores how seriously Beijing is treating energy security. Chinese regulators had already warned teapot refiners not to cut processing rates below recent average levels, and new import quotas totaling 55 million metric tons were issued to support supply.

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by CGSP Staff

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