China's crude oil imports plummeted to their lowest level in a decade during June, driven by weakened domestic energy demand and reduced refinery utilization rates. The country's petroleum sector faced headwinds as refineries operated at decade-low capacity, prompting authorities to restrict refined product exports in favor of maintaining domestic energy security. While natural gas imports experienced modest year-on-year growth in June, the first-half aggregate figures reveal a contrasting downward trend, signaling broader shifts in China's energy consumption patterns.

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