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Japan, the world's fifth-largest oil importer, experienced a historic contraction in its crude purchases during April 2026. According to data from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (Meti), imports fell by almost 66% compared to the same month last year, reaching their lowest level in over six decades.
The Asian country imported 850,000 barrels per day (equivalent to 4.07 million kiloliters) during April, the lowest figure recorded since November 1962, according to historical data available on the National Diet Library website.
This drastic drop directly responds to the interruption of supplies from the Middle East, a region that provides most of the crude oil consumed by Japan. Imports from that area registered a contraction of 68%, while shipments from the two main suppliers—Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates—decreased by 60% or more.
The root cause of this supply crisis is the war between the United States and Israel against Iran, which began on February 28. This conflict has severely restricted maritime transport through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical transit route that channels approximately one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supply.
Although several crude oil tankers have left the Gulf during the month, energy flows through this strategic route remain well below pre-hostility levels.
The crude oil shortage has forced refineries in Japan and other Asian regions to deepen cuts in their processing levels during April and May. This contraction is reflected in domestic sales of petroleum products, which fell by 11.3% compared to the previous year, standing at 2.04 million barrels per day (bpd).
The performance of specific products shows significant variations:
The data was converted to barrels per day from kiloliters, while inventory volumes are expressed in millions of barrels and percentage variations are calculated based on bpd.
Source: portalportuario
