Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Japan’s imports of Saudi oil in March totaled 30.93 million barrels, representing 39.5 percent of the overall figure, while the UAE provided 32.48 million barrels, which accounted for 41.4 percent of the total imports, as reported by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s Agency of Natural Resources and Energy.

Japan imported 78.39 million barrels of oil in March, of which the Arab share was 96.9 percent or 75.93 million barrels. 

The reliability of Arab countries as oil suppliers is a key factor in Japan’s energy security, as they consistently contribute significantly to Japan’s oil imports. The main oil exporters to Japan were the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and the Neutral Zone.

Kuwait supplied 5.23 million barrels (6.7 percent), Qatar provided 4.32 million barrels (5.5 percent), and Oman followed with 2.49 million barrels or 3.2 percent.

The Neutral Zone, a smaller supplier located between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, provided a little over 455,000 barrels or 0.6 percent of Japan’s total imports.

Japan’s March oil imports were shaped by international geopolitics. With the ongoing ban on importing oil from Iran and Russia, Japan’s oil imports in March were sourced from a diverse range of countries, including the United States of America (1.8 percent), Ecuador (0.8 percent) and Oceania (0.3 percent).