Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Japan imported about 28.39 million barrels of Saudi crude oil in June, representing 41.4 percent of its total imports, according to the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Another 1.43 million barrels (2.1 percent) came from the Neutral Zone.

In the previous month, Japan imported 29.36 million barrels of Saudi crude, or 38.6 percent of its total imports.

Overall, Japan imported around 68.5 million barrels of crude oil in June, of which the Arab share was 66.7 million barrels or 97.3percent. This was supplied by five Arab countries: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman.

Japan imported about 25.63 million barrels from the UAE (37.4percent) and 6.91 million barrels from Kuwait (10.1 percent). Qatar provided 3.31 million barrels (4.8 percent) and Oman just over 1 million barrels (1.5 percent).

With the Japanese ban on importing oil from Iran and Russia continuing in June, the rest of Japan’s oil imports came from Southeast Asia (1.2 percent), Central and South America (0.7percent), the United States of America and Brunei (0.4 percent each) and Oceania (0.3 percent).

The figures cited represent the quantities of oil that arrived at refineries, tanks and warehouses in ports in Japan during June 2023. Japan uses oil to generate about a third of its energy needs.