China to ignore US demand for Iran oil ban

Tehran's top customer unfazed by threat of blocking access to dollars

20180628 Iran China oil

China is the top importer of Iranian oil.

TETSUSHI TAKAHASHI and RYO NAKAMURA, Nikkei staff writers

BEIJING/WASHINGTON -- China looks set to defy U.S. calls to halt imports of Iranian oil by November, potentially adding another source of friction to the already fractious trade relationship between Washington and Beijing.

The U.S., which withdrew last month from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, has pressed countries around the world to cut oil imports from the Middle Eastern country to "zero" by Nov. 4 or face sanctions.

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