China orders firms not to comply with US sanctions on five refineries

China's Ministry of Commerce issued a prohibition order on Saturday stating that US sanctions on five independent refineries should not be recognised, enforced or complied with, Al Jazeera reports. The refineries named are Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian), Shandong Jincheng Petrochemical Group, Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group, Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical and Shandong Shengxing Chemical. The US Treasury had sanctioned them on 24 April for allegedly buying Iranian oil, describing Hengli as one of Tehran's most valued customers. The ministry said the measures breached international law. According to Al Jazeera, China bought more than 80% of Iran's oil exports in 2025, and teapot refineries make up a quarter of Chinese refining capacity.

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