For most of 2020, China's refineries processed more crude oil than U.S. refineries

In April 2020, more crude oil was being refined in China's refineries than in U.S. refineries for the first month on record, and the trend continued for all remaining months in 2020 except for July and August. China processed more crude oil than the United States not only because of the unique effects of COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions in 2020, but also because of differences in the longer-term structural refining trends between the two countries. More »