<article><p><i>Adds details, table</i></p><p class="lead">China's crude imports from the US rose to a record high in September, while deliveries from top suppliers Saudi Arabia and Russia also increased, customs data show.</p><p>China imported 952,000 b/d of US crude last month, up more than sevenfold from September 2019 and above the previous record of 840,000 b/d in July.</p><p>China was the <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2147585">top destination</a> for US crude loaded in August for a fourth consecutive month, at about 570,000 b/d. Loadings to China hit a record high of 1.26mn b/d in May, after China received no US crude in December-April. </p><p>China's purchases of US crudes have ramped up as Beijing looks to meet its interim trade deal with Washington, which included commitments to buy more US energy products. Imports from the US averaged 292,000 b/d in January-September, more than double levels a year earlier.</p><p>Saudi Arabia was China's top supplier in September with 1.9mn b/d, 53pc more a month earlier, followed by Russia with 1.83mn b/d - both the highest since June. </p><p>State-controlled PetroChina's 190,000 b/d Daqing refinery took its first batch of Russian ESPO Blend crude by pipeline in September after finishing a <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2138550">facility upgrade</a> that supported its Russian imports. China <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2147906">increased</a> its purchases of September-loading ESPO Blend crude from the Kozmino terminal in Russia's far east to around 504,000 b/d.</p><p>China's imports from Iraq slipped in September. Total exports of Iraq's Basrah Light and Basrah Heavy crude dropped to 2.5mn b/d in August, nearly 7pc lower on the month. State-owned marketer Somo reduced its August-loading Basrah allocations to some refiners in China.</p><p>China's total crude imports were 11.85mn b/d in September, up by 5.6pc from August and 17.6pc higher than a year earlier, according to <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2149564">preliminary customs data</a> released earlier this month.</p><p><table class='tbl-excel'><tr><td class='tbl-header' colspan='3'>China&#39;s crude imports</td><td class='tbl-header'></td><td class='tbl-header'></td><td class='tbl-header tbl-right tbl-italic'>mn b/d</td></tr><tr><td class='tbl-columnheader tbl-bold tbl-left'></td><td class='tbl-columnheader tbl-bold tbl-center tbl-right'>September</td><td class='tbl-columnheader tbl-bold tbl-right'>August</td><td class='tbl-columnheader tbl-bold tbl-right'>Sep 2019</td><td class='tbl-columnheader tbl-bold tbl-right'>Jan-Sep 2020</td><td class='tbl-columnheader tbl-bold tbl-right'>Jan-Sep 2019</td></tr><tr><td>Saudi Arabia</td><td>1.90</td><td>1.24</td><td>1.75</td><td>1.70</td><td>1.60</td></tr><tr><td>Russia</td><td>1.83</td><td>1.37</td><td>1.54</td><td>1.73</td><td>1.50</td></tr><tr><td>Brazil</td><td>1.10</td><td>0.98</td><td>0.72</td><td>0.90</td><td>0.78</td></tr><tr><td>United States</td><td>0.95</td><td>0.53</td><td>0.13</td><td>0.29</td><td>0.14</td></tr><tr><td>Iraq</td><td>0.89</td><td>1.09</td><td>1.18</td><td>1.26</td><td>0.98</td></tr><tr><td>Oman</td><td>0.89</td><td>0.61</td><td>0.59</td><td>0.75</td><td>0.61</td></tr><tr><td>U.A.E</td><td>0.85</td><td>0.99</td><td>0.48</td><td>0.67</td><td>0.29</td></tr><tr><td>Angola</td><td>0.82</td><td>0.71</td><td>0.76</td><td>0.83</td><td>0.96</td></tr><tr><td>Kuwait</td><td>0.44</td><td>0.60</td><td>0.32</td><td>0.53</td><td>0.44</td></tr><tr><td>Iran</td><td>0.17</td><td>0.00</td><td>0.13</td><td>0.08</td><td>0.36</td></tr><tr><td>Total</td><td>11.85</td><td>11.22</td><td>10.08</td><td>11.12</td><td>9.91</td></tr><tr><td class='tbl-footer tbl-right tbl-italic' colspan='6'>Source: China customs</td></tr></table></article>
