Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Japan’s imports of Saudi crude oil increased in November 2023, reaching 33.27 million barrels, or 42.7% of total imports, according to the Agency of Natural Resources and Energy that belongs to the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry. 

During November, Japan imported 77.89 million barrels of oil, of which the Arab share was 94.6%, or 73.68 million barrels. This was supplied by six Arab countries: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Sudan, according to the data.

Japan imported about 29.27 million barrels from the UAE, or 37.6% of total imports, in November. Kuwait provided about 7 million barrels (9%) and Qatar 3.62 million barrels (4.7%). Japan imported nearly 500,000 barrels (0.6%) from Oman and 0.2% from Sudan.

With the Japanese ban on importing oil from Iran and Russia continuing in November, the rest of Japan’s oil imports came from the United States of America (3.1%), Central and South America (1.4%), Southeast Asia (0.4%), and Oceania (0.3%).

Crude oil generates about a third of Japan’s energy needs.