Home / Business and Economy / India and Taiwan Lead in Russian Naphtha Exports Amid Global Shifts
India and Taiwan Lead in Russian Naphtha Exports Amid Global Shifts
29 Jul
Summary
- India's naphtha imports from Russia reached 250,000 tons in June
- Taiwan doubled its intake of Russian naphtha to 234,000 tons in June
- Shipments are being rerouted via Southern Africa due to Red Sea crisis
Last month, India and Taiwan emerged as the leading destinations for Russian seaborne naphtha exports, as cheaper volumes and strong domestic demand attracted buyers in these countries. India's naphtha imports from Russia reached 250,000 tons in June, a 5% decrease from May, but still exceeding 1.4 million tons in the first half of 2025.
Meanwhile, naphtha exports from Russian ports to Taiwan doubled in June, reaching 234,000 tons, and totaling 1.27 million tons between January and June. Other top destinations for Russian naphtha in June included Singapore, Malaysia, Turkey, and China.
The shift in trade patterns is driven by the European Union's full embargo on Russian oil products that went into effect in February 2023. With the Middle East and Asia becoming the main destinations for Russia's naphtha supplies, traders have been diverting cargoes around Africa's Cape of Good Hope to avoid the heightened risk of attacks in the Red Sea.
These rerouted shipments, carrying nearly 300,000 tons of Russian naphtha last month, have impacted delivery times and costs for buyers in Asia. The crisis in the Red Sea has forced a change in the global logistics of Russian naphtha exports, with India and Taiwan emerging as the primary beneficiaries of this shift in the short term.
