UK shipbroker Gibsons has sounded a warning to tanker owners over Chinese oil trade as crude imports went into reverse for the first time in 20 years.
Last year saw total imports drop to 513m tonnes, down 5.4% from 2020.
This was the first fall since 2001.
The decline in imports occurred despite an increase in refinery runs, with Chinese output up 4.3% year-on-year, reaching 703.5m tonnes, Gibsons said.
But lower refining runs were seen towards the end of the year, as mobility restrictions and “zero-Covid” policies reduced demand for products and thus refinery throughput, the company added.
“For the last 20 years, continuous growth in crude imports provided steady support for tankers as other regions fluctuated,” the broker said.
“In the short term, reduced import crude quotas are likely to drag on freight levels, particularly for VLCCs and suezmaxes,” the company added.
Gibsons also believes product tankers will ship fewer Chinese export cargoes, hitting Asian rates.