China continued Iran oil imports in July in teeth of U.S. sanctions: analysts

China imported Iranian crude oil in July for the second month since a U.S. sanctions waiver ended, according to research from three data firms, with one estimate showing some oil entered tanks holding the country’s strategic reserves.

According to the firms, which track tanker movements, between 4.4 million and 11 million barrels of Iranian crude were discharged into China last month, or 142,000 to 360,000 barrels per day (bpd). The upper end of that range would mean July imports still added up to close to half of their year-earlier level despite sanctions.

The imports are continuing at a precarious moment in U.S.-China relations: The flow is hampering U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to choke off oil exports vital to Iran through sanctions, just as tensions rise in the festering U.S.-China trade dispute that has cast a pall over the global economy.

Read the full article and more in Reuters.