China Bought Half Of Brazil’s Oil Exports As Iran War And Hormuz Disruptions Drove Sales To Record Highs

RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil solidified its position as a vital energy partner for Beijing over the first three quarters of the year, purchasing half of all crude oil exported by South America’s largest economy as geopolitical turmoil shut down critical Middle Eastern shipping lanes. According to a comprehensive trade analysis published by the Brazil-China Business Council, sales of Brazilian petroleum to Chinese markets skyrocketed by 49 per cent to reach an unprecedented $21.8 billion between January and September.

The historic surge underscores how regional hostilities and security bottlenecks in the Persian Gulf are fundamentally reshaping global commodity supply chains and long-term energy procurement strategies.

The data reveals that total Brazilian crude exports expanded by 28.7 per cent to hit $43 billion, with crude oil now accounting for 25.8 per cent of all Brazilian shipments to China, second only to soybeans. While bilateral trade between the two nations reached $143 billion over the nine-month period, energy commodities served as the primary growth engine.

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However, economic analysts note that the extraordinary pace of expansion has begun to taper off in recent weeks as maritime traffic through key Middle Eastern chokepoints gradually normalises following intensive diplomatic and security interventions.