President Xi Jinping expressed interest in purchasing more U.S. oil to reduce China's dependence on the Strait of Hormuz during a leadership summit with President Donald Trump, according to a White House readout of the meeting published on Thursday, Reuters reported.
There was no mention of purchasing oil in any of the Chinese summaries of the meeting published by state media. China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
China is the world’s largest oil importer but the U.S. has never been a major source of crude. Imports of U.S. oil peaked at about 395,000 barrels per day in 2020, accounting for just under 4% of China’s total crude imports.
In 2024, before Trump returned to office, that had fallen to 193,000 bpd, worth $6 billion.
China has not imported any U.S. oil since May 2025 due to a 20% import tariff imposed during the trade war.
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