Japan cut its Iranian crude oil imports by 51.6% month on month to 141,712 b/d in April before the expiry of US sanction waivers on May 2, according to data released Friday by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry. The volume imported in March, 292,648 b/d, was the highest level since September 2016. On a year-on-year basis, the Iranian inflows in April, however, spiked 358.5% as Japanese refiners intended to complete their imports of Iranian oil by mid-April, when there was a lack of clarity over whether the US would extend the waivers. The US government announced in late April that it would end all sanction waivers on Iranian oil imports, due to expire May 2. On the other hand, Japanese refiners looked at supplies from Ecuador and the Middle East to replace Iranian […]