Kuwait has become China’s largest supplier of liquid petroleum gas (LPG), overtaking Qatar in November. 

Kuwait’s LPG shipments to China increased by 64.4 per cent in November, over 2010 figures to 80,500 tonnes, representing approximately a quarter of total LPG imports, according to data from China’s General Administration of Customs.

The UAE supplied some 80,000 tonnes, up 55.7 per cent, followed by Iran with 69,500 tonnes.

China is the world’s second-largest LPG consumer after the US. Kuwait supplied a total of 505,000 tonnes between January and November, up almost 140 per cent on the same period in 2010.

However, Kuwait’s crude oil exports to China fell 23.7 per cent in November from a year earlier to 178,000 barrels per day (b/d).

China imported almost 5.6 million b/d of crude oil in November, up 8.5 per cent on November 2010. Saudi Arabia is its top supplier with 1.18 million b/d, followed by Angola with 748,000 b/d and Iran at 622,000 b/d.