Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Saudi Arabia maintained its position as a top crude oil supplier to Japan in June  2021, providing 21.460 million barrels, or 36.9% of the total Japanese imports, according to data from the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy belonging to the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry.

Showing a decreasing trend for oil imports not seen in decades, due to the slowdown of economic activities resulting from the Pandemic, Japan imported a total of 58.153 million barrels during that month compared to nearly 75 million barrels imported one month earlier in May 2021.

According to the data, the share of Arab oil  in June 2021 remains high at 92.7% of total Japanese imports, or nearly 54 million barrels provided by 5 Arab countries UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman, and Saudi Arabia.

Imports from the United Arab Emirates amounted to 19.431 million barrels or 33.4% of the total.

Imports from Qatar equaled 6.41 million barrels, or 11% of the total, while Kuwait provided  6.13 million barrels or 10.5% of total imports. Oman provided nearly 500 thousand barrels or 0.9% of the total, the data said.

Russia, the only European source, provided 2.1 million barrels of crude oil, or 3.6% of the Japanese total. Ecuador provided 1.274 million barrels or 2.2% of the total imports.

Countries of South East Asia, Viet Nam and Malaysia provided Japan with nearly half a million barrels (1.2%). In June, crude imports from Australia and Papua New Guinea were each at 0.3% of the total imports.

The figures cited represent the quantities of oil that arrived at refineries, tanks, and warehouses located at ports in Japan during June 2021.