Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Japan’s imports of Saudi crude oil increased slightly in August to about 27.93 million barrels or 36 percent, according to the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s Agency for Natural Resources and Energy.

In July, Japan’s imports of Saudi crude oil were 27.6 million barrels or 38 percent of the total.

In August, Japan imported about 77.55 million barrels.

Some 94.6 percent of that share, or 73.33 million barrels, was supplied by six Arab countries: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain, according to the data.

Japan imported about 35.67 million barrels from the UAE, or 46 percent of total imports in August. Kuwait provided 4.69 million barrels (6 percent) of the total, and Qatar supplied about 2.95 million barrels (3.8 percent).

Japan imported about 1.5 million barrels (1.9 percent) from Oman, 0.6 percent from Bahrain, and 0.1 percent from the Neutral Zone.

While Japan’s ban on importing oil from Iran and Russia continued in August, the rest of such imports came from Central and South America (2.8 percent), the US (0.9 percent), Southeast Asia (0.8 percent), and Oceania (1 percent). This highlighted the continued increase in Japan’s dependence on Arab countries’ oil.

The figures cited represent the quantities of oil that arrived at refineries, tanks and warehouses in Japanese ports in August. 

Japan uses oil to generate about a third of its energy needs.