Iraqi Oil Exports to India Dip as Russia Retains Top Supplier Spot

Ahmed Mohammed 06/07/2025
FILE - In this May 14, 2003 file photo, an Iraqi oil worker tends to his work at the Basra Oil refinery in southern Iraq. Iraq's oil ministry says the country's oil reserves are significantly higher than current estimates of 115 billion barrels. (AP Photo/Elizabeth Dalziel, File)
FILE - In this May 14, 2003 file photo, an Iraqi oil worker tends to his work at the Basra Oil refinery in southern Iraq. Iraq's oil ministry says the country's oil reserves are significantly higher than current estimates of 115 billion barrels. (AP Photo/Elizabeth Dalziel, File)

Iraqi crude oil shipments to India fell by four percent in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year, according to official figures.

From January to June, Iraq exported an average of 860,000 barrels per day to India, down from 900,000 barrels per day in 2024, Shafaq News reported.

“Russia remained the top supplier of crude oil to India,” the data showed, with 1.67 million barrels per day, followed by Iraq and Saudi Arabia. India’s imports of Iraqi oil also saw a monthly drop, decreasing by 28,000 barrels per day, from 959,000 barrels per day in May 2024 to 931,000 barrels per day this year.

In early 2025, Indian refineries “switched to non-Russian oil after the government informed them about US sanctions weeks before they were publicized,” sources familiar with the matter noted.

Despite this decline in Indian imports, Iraq’s oil remains crucial for both India and China. Customs data analysis revealed that China’s imports of Iraqi oil rose by more than 22,000 barrels per day, reaching 1.11 million barrels per day in May 2025, compared to 1.08 million barrels per day in the same month last year.

Overall, Iraq’s crude oil exports averaged approximately 3.33 million barrels per day during the first five months of 2025, slightly lower than 3.45 million barrels per day in the same period of 2024. Additionally, Iraq’s total seaborne exports dropped to 3.66 million barrels per day in May 2025, down from 3.87 million barrels per day a year earlier.

Ahmed Mohammed

06/07/2025