China’s State Oil Giants Halt Russian Crude Purchases Amid U.S. Sanctions Pressure

China’s leading state-owned oil companies such as PetroChina, Sinopec, CNOOC, and Zhenhua Oil have temporarily suspended seaborne imports of Russian crude after Washington imposed sanctions on Moscow’s two largest oil producers, Rosneft and Lukoil.

The Gaze reports this, referring to Reuters.

The move marks Beijing’s first coordinated slowdown in Russian oil purchases since the invasion of Ukraine and comes as India, another top buyer of discounted Russian crude, reportedly prepares to sharply scale back imports to avoid breaching U.S. restrictions.

Analysts warn that the simultaneous retreat by China and India, which together account for the bulk of Russia’s oil exports, could cut deeply into Moscow’s energy revenues while tightening global supply and pushing prices higher in the coming weeks.

Data from Vortexa Analytics show that Chinese state refiners bought fewer than 250,000 barrels per day of Russian crude during the first nine months of 2025, while consultancy Energy Aspects places the figure closer to 500,000 barrels per day.

Sinopec’s trading arm Unipec reportedly halted all Russian oil purchases last week, following London’s decision to expand sanctions targeting Rosneft, Lukoil, and several Chinese firms accused of supporting Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet.”

China’s smaller independent refiners, known as “teapots,” have not completely abandoned Russian crude but have paused new contracts to assess potential legal and financial risks stemming from the expanding web of Western restrictions.

China currently imports about 1.4 million barrels of Russian oil per day by sea, plus an additional 900,000 barrels daily via pipelines operated by PetroChina. Traders note that pipeline deliveries remain unaffected by the sanctions for now.

The move marks a broader realignment of Asia’s energy landscape, as China and India have begun diversifying their oil supply routes, turning increasingly toward producers in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America to reduce their exposure to Russian crude and enhance long-term energy security.

As The Gaze reported earlier, the U.S. imposed a new round of major sanctions targeting Russia’s energy giants Rosneft and Lukoil, in response to Moscow’s continued reluctance to engage seriously in peace efforts to end the Russian-Ukrainian war.