China’s crude oil import volume up 11% in first half

China, the world’s second-largest energy consumer, imported 11 percent more crude oil in the first half of 2008 than in the year-earlier period.

Crude imports stood at 90.53 million tons, the General Administration of Customs said on Thursday. The growth rate was down 0.2 percentage points from last year.

The imports were valued at 64.98 billion U.S. dollars, up 85.8 percent, as world prices surged. Import prices hit a record high of 849.10 U.S. dollars per ton in June.

Angola, Saudi Arabia, and Iran were the top three oil suppliers.

Xinhuanet