China's gasoline exports up 248% in Aug

Sep. 23, 2009 (China Knowledge) - China exported 395,140 tons of gasoline in August, 248% more than it exported last August and 74% more than it exported in July, according to statistics released by the General Administration of Customs yesterday.

However, gasoline exports are expected to decrease in September because the Chinese government increased the benchmark retail price for gasoline by 4% early this month.

The country's diesel exports last month were 395,140 tons, slightly down from that of July, but up 1,800% compared with the same period of last year.

China's fuel oil imports surged 34.77% year on year to 1.62 million tons in August. The country imported 495,505 tons of kerosene, 21.7% less than a year earlier, and imported 462,484 tons of liquefied natural gas, 22.45% more than in the same period of last year.

Sales of oil products in China increased 3.2% year on year to 18.78 million tons in August, reaching the highest monthly level this year so far, according to data released earlier by the National Bureau of Statistics. Gasoline sales last month rose 6.4% year on year or 7.4% month on month to 5.9 million tons, while diesel sales grew 0.9% from a year earlier or 8.6% from July to 11.9 million tons.