Kuwait’s crude oil exports to China in the January-November period stood at 8.21 million tons, equivalent to around 180, 000 barrels per day (bpd), the latest government data showed.

In November alone, Kuwait’s shipments to the world’s second-biggest energy market stood at 124,000 bpd, according to the General Administration of Customs. China’s overall imports of crude oil in November edged up 0.8 percent from a year earlier to 5.76 million bpd. Saudi Arabia remained China’s top supplier last month, although its shipments plunged 19.7 percent to 1.04 million bpd, followed by Oman with 558,000 bpd, up 40.7 percent. Iran became third with imports from the country surging 25.9 percent to 541,000 bpd. Iraq ranked fourth and Angola fifth, respectively.

China is expected to replace the US as the world’s largest oil importer by the 2020s followed by India, as emerging economies are poised to claim most of the global energy supplies, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said late November.

China will be the main contributor to the increase in global energy use over the coming decade, and after that India will replace it as the world's biggest driving force for energy demand in the 2020s, according to a report released by the Paris-based IEA.