Reuters analysis shows China’s 1.2 billion barrel reserves absorb Hormuz disruption, suppressing global price spikes and clouding true supply tightness.
China’s strategic crude stockpiles have absorbed nearly 5 million barrels per day of lost Middle East supply from the Hormuz standoff, preventing broader Asian or global price surges. The country’s 1.2 billion barrel reserves allow it to suppress import demand, masking physical tightness caused by the disruption.