China’s crude oil imports from Iran sank almost 60 per cent in June from a year earlier, Chinese customs data showed, following the end of a waiver on US sanctions at the start of May.

Crude shipment from Iran were 855,638 tonnes last month, or 208,205 barrels per day (bpd), data from the General Administration of Customs showed. That compared with 254,016 bpd in May.

According to Refinitiv Oil Research assessments, a total of 670,000 tonnes, or about 163,000 bpd, of Iranian crude oil was discharged in June at Tianjin in north China and Jinzhou in the northeast.

Refinitiv Oil Research also showed another 430,000 tonnes of Iranian crude oil was discharged in July at Jinzhou and Huizhou in south China.

All the discharged vessels are operated by National Iranian Tanker Company.

It’s not clear who owns the cargoes nor if any buyer has been arranged. State oil firms have since May stopped taking Iranian crude oil, due to concerns about US sanctions. Jinzhou, Tianjin and Huizhou are all where Chinese oil firms operate refineries.