China, India Increase Brazilian Crude Imports After Hormuz Disruptions
China and India increased purchases of Brazilian oil between January and May 2026 as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz faced continued restrictions. Data from Kpler showed average daily imports from Brazil rising to 1.8 million barrels.
upi.com-Israel conflict with Iran. 2 million barrels per day in 2025. 316 million barrels per day compared with 704,000 barrels per day in 2025.
06 million barrels per day in the first five months of 2026, according to Kpler. 77 million barrels per day in 2025 occurred mainly before March. Petrobras redirected more than 60 percent of its exports to China while shipments to the United States fell to zero from roughly 60,000 barrels per day in March.
Ritolia of Kpler stated that Asian refiners are seeking barrels not exposed to Gulf shipping disruptions. He noted that Brazilian medium-sweet grades can replace some Gulf grades but are not a complete substitute. Shipping time from Brazil to China averages about 50 days, longer than routes from the Gulf or Russia’s Arctic terminals.
Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said last week that Brazil is prepared to increase crude exports to Japan. 2 billion in the first quarter of 2026, a 95 percent increase from the same period in 2025.
Key Facts
Story Timeline
4 events- January-May 2026
Brazilian crude imports by China and India rose to 1.8 million barrels per day.
1 sourceAl Jazeera - March 2026
Brazilian oil exports to the United States fell to zero.
1 sourceAl Jazeera - Q1 2026
Value of Brazilian crude exports to China reached $7.2 billion.
1 sourceAl Jazeera - May 2026
Brazilian oil production averaged 4.11 million barrels per day.
1 sourceAl Jazeera
Potential Impact
- 01
Longer shipping times from Brazil could raise freight costs for Asian refiners.
Transparency Panel
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