China and Climate: China Restricts Fuel Exports, Solar Exports Surge

(Mia Beams, Angus Soderberg – Council on Foreign Relations) In March, China instructed its top diesel and gasoline exporters to halt all fuel exports, seeking to prioritize its domestic oil needs during the energy shock caused by the war in Iran. That focus has continued into April. Following the destruction of two Qatari liquefaction production units, China’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports continued to fall too. Until that point, China had received close to a quarter of its LNG imports from Qatar. To reduce domestic harm, China’s National Development and Reform Commission instructed its leading private refiners to produce crude oil and gasoline at levels at least equal to 2025 production no matter the cost. If the independent refiners fail to meet those output levels, they could face reduced crude import quotas. The private refiners account for nearly 25 percent of China’s refining capacity. – China and Climate: China Restricts Fuel Exports, Solar Exports Surge | Council on Foreign Relations