Crude oil imports fell 11 percent in May from a year earlier, declining for a 13th month.
Crude oil imports fell to 17.5 million kiloliters last month, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a report Friday.
Japan, the world's largest consumer of oil after the U.S. and China, imports more than 99 percent of its oil, according to government data.
Overall imports from the Middle East fell 9.2 percent to 15.7 million kiloliters and those from Saudi Arabia alone dropped 11 percent to 5 million kiloliters, the report said.
Sales of oil products by refiners and importers declined 2.7 percent to 16.2 million kiloliters in May.
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