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Japan's April Oil Imports Plummet YOY As Iran War Disrupts Supply

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Japan's imports of crude oil plummeted to 4.07 billion liters in April down from 11.87 billion liters in the same month of 2025, data from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry showed.

Underscoring Asia's reliance on Middle Eastern supplies, nearly 94% of Japan's imports of crude in April 2025 were from the Middle East at 11.13 billion liters. In April this year, Middle East crude receipts plunged to 3.56 billion liters.

Of Japan's two biggest Middle Eastern supplies, receipts from Saudi Arabia more than halved year over year, while imports from the UAE fell by more than two-thirds, the data showed.

Imports from the US, while small, fell to 314.2 million liters in April, from 466.5 million liters in April 2025, and smaller quantities from South America also fell.

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