Sanction busting

Chinese supertankers hired for Iran oil

Despite fresh EU sanctions against Iran's oil exports, China has shown interest in Iran's oil with hiring at least two supertankers to ship oil from the country.

Press TV,

24 January 2012

Clarkson Research Services Ltd., a unit of the world's largest shipbroker, announced the two supertankers were booked to carry about 2 million barrels of crude from Iran's Khark Island to China. 

Qi Lian San, a large crude carrier anchored near Singapore, was booked to load 270,000 tons of crude at Khark Island from Feb. 3 to Feb. 5 and carry the cargo to China, Clarkson said. 

The Chinese oil trader, Zhuhai Zhenrong Co., also booked an unidentified ship owned by the National Iranian Tanker Co. to load 265,000 tons of crude in Khark Island on Jan. 29 and sail to the Chinese port city of Ningbo. 

Two other ships, Davar and Hoda, which called at an Iranian oil terminal, are heading for China, Bloomberg reported. 

Ship-tracking data show Davar is sailing to Ningbo after leaving Iran's Soroush terminal on Jan. 11, and Hoda is bound for Shui Dong. The National Iranian Tanker Co. owns both very large carriers. 

Customs data also showed that China imported 2.4 million metric tons of crude from Iran last month. 

On Monday, EU foreign ministers in Brussels agreed to embargo Iranian oil that involved an immediate ban on all new oil contracts with Iran. 

Earlier this month, China's vice foreign minister said his government "opposes imposing pressure and sanctions."