Bad omens for Chinese oil demand
Sino-US trade tensions could see crude consumption crumble despite recent buying behaviour
The US-China trade decoupling and its impact on the growth of the world’s second-largest economy have quickly become the main wildcard for Chinese crude oil demand this year—leapfrogging existing drivers such as electric cars and petrochemicals—as sky-high US tariffs seem certain to crimp China’s manufacturing and exports. The years-long trade war between the US and China reached new heights in April, as both sides escalated tariffs and counter-tariffs that now risk collapsing bilateral trade worth an estimated $582b last year. Beijing has stood firm in the spat, striking a publicly defiant tone that extended to forcefully denying US President Donald Trump’s claims that tariff negotiations b
Also in this section
7 January 2026
No longer can the energy source be considered a sidekick to oil in the Middle East and neither should it step aside for less convincing alternatives
7 January 2026
The global race for critical minerals has become a defining feature of energy geopolitics, presenting the ASEAN region with both opportunity and risk
7 January 2026
As global energy systems evolve to meet shifting demand and transition pressures, maintaining reliable hydrocarbon supply remains essential to energy security
6 January 2026
Cash will be needed to boost production by 30% to meet region’s rapidly rising power demand, executives told the inaugural Middle East Gas Conference in December
