China defied sanctions and made Russia its largest oil supplier in 2023

Russia overtook Saudi Arabia and in 2023 became the largest supplier of crude oil to China, data showed.

China is the world’s biggest crude importer, which has defied Western sanctions to buy large quantities of oil at a discounted price for its processing facilities.

Chinese customs data showed Russia shipped record 107 million metric tons of crude oil to China last year, equivalent to 2 million barrels per day, far more than its imports from other major exporters such as Saudi Arabia and Iraq.