(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) TOKYO, July 14 (KUNA) -- China's crude oil imports in June hit a five-month low of 30.62 million tons, or 7.49 million barrels a day (bpd), government data showed.
It was the smallest figure since January, when the world's largest energy consumer imported 6.31 million bpd, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs.
But inbound crude shipments last month grew 3.8 percent from a year earlier. For the first six months of the year, China imported 7.52 million bpd, up 14.2 percent from the same period of 2015.
In its "Short-Term Energy Outlook" published earlier this month, state-owned US Energy Information Administration said that China's consumption of petroleum and other liquid fuels is forecast to grow by 0.4 million bpd in both 2016 and 2017, driven by increased use of gasoline, jet fuel, and hydrocarbon gas liquids, which more than offset decreases in diesel consumption. (end) mk.tg