Japan lifts Saudi, UAE crude imports

摘要

Tokyo-Japan has increased its crude oil imports from Saudi Arabia and the UAE at the expense of cutting its purchases from most other suppliers following a 520,000 b/d regulation-led cut in refining capacity as of March this year. The rise in imports from the two Middle East suppliers underlines local refiners’ intention to maintain strategic relationships with their top two traditional crude suppliers-a stance likely to be maintained in 2015, industry sources and analysts said.