According to informed sources, Saudi Arabia's crude oil sales to its largest importer, China, are projected to decrease by half next month. This decline is attributed to the Middle East conflict, which has disrupted shipping logistics and driven up costs. Traders, who requested anonymity, indicated that the world's largest oil exporter plans to ship approximately 20 million barrels to Chinese customers in May. This figure is significantly lower than the nearly 40 million barrels allocated for loading in April.

The reduction in sales follows Saudi Arabia's recent move to raise the official selling price of its crude to a record high. Energy flows have faced severe disruptions due to the Iran conflict, which has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz. Although Saudi Arabia maintains an oil export route through the Yanbu port on the Red Sea, this channel cannot handle the full volume of supplies previously exported via the Persian Gulf.

Saudi Aramco's increase in crude prices for Asia has pushed premiums to unprecedented levels. The Middle East conflict has now entered its second month with no signs of easing. Recent negotiations between the U.S. and Iran held in Pakistan failed to reach an agreement over the weekend. The situation escalated further when U.S. President Trump threatened to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, banning all maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports starting 10 a.m. Washington time on Monday.

The export capacity of the Yanbu port is approximately 5 million barrels per day, which is lower than Saudi Arabia's pre-war export volume of 72 million barrels per day, primarily handled through Persian Gulf facilities. Traders noted that Asian refiners are currently only permitted to obtain Arab Light crude through this Red Sea port.

Meanwhile, Dubai and Oman crude prices, which serve as benchmarks for Saudi oil pricing, have become increasingly volatile. The conflict has caused a shortage of crude oil used to assess these benchmarks.