China’s exports of petroleum products in Tir decreased by 12.9% compared with the previous year, but increased by 6.7% compared with the month before that.

Data from China’s customs shows that easing export restrictions to refineries under pressure allowed them to send more fuel abroad.

China, a key supplier of fuel to Asia, sharply limited its exports in Esfand to protect the domestic market from an oil shock caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Beijing reduced those controls in Tir and again in Mordad. In the second month, officials approved export volumes that go beyond the pre-war level. China’s energy policy in recent months has been one of the main factors preventing a sharp spike in global oil prices.