China has reportedly instructed its largest oil refining companies to suspend exports of diesel and gasoline, according to a report by Bloomberg News, as escalating tensions in the Middle East threaten global energy supplies.
The report, published on Thursday and citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, said Chinese authorities have asked refiners to temporarily halt shipments of refined fuel products.
The move comes at a time when the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has raised concerns about a potential disruption in global oil supply chains.
China is heavily reliant on imported crude oil and remains one of the major Asian economy’s dependents on the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz for energy transportation. However, shipping traffic through the narrow waterway has reportedly been disrupted amid the ongoing regional conflict, heightening fears of an energy supply crunch.
According to energy analytics firm Kpler, around 57 per cent of China’s direct seaborne crude oil imports in 2025 originated from the Middle East, highlighting the country’s vulnerability to instability in the region.
Bloomberg reported that officials from China’s top economic planning body, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), recently held a meeting with representatives of major refining companies. During the meeting, officials reportedly issued a verbal directive calling for the immediate suspension of refined fuel exports.
Refiners were also reportedly asked not to sign any new export contracts and to attempt renegotiating or cancelling shipments that had already been agreed upon.
When asked about the report during a regular press briefing, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said they were not aware of any such directive.
Major Chinese energy companies, including PetroChina, Sinopec, CNOOC, Sinochem Group and private refiner Zhejiang Petrochemical, regularly receive fuel export quotas from the government. However, none of the companies responded to requests for comment regarding the reported instruction.
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