Lessvulnerable DatasuggestnomaterialchangeinIran'soilsupplytoChinasofardespitetheHormuzdisruption.Thedomesticfuelpricingmechanismtemperedthepriceefect.Loweroil&gasdependencyandhigherrenewablesandelectrificationhavereducedvulnerability.RetailsalesandFAIareinfocusnext. JianChang +85229032654jian.chang@barclays.comBarclaysBank,HongKong YingkeZhou+85229032653yingke.zhou@barclays.comBarclaysBank,HongKong OilpricesclimbedbackaboveUSD100perbarrelonThursdayafterIran'snewsupremeleaderstatedthattheStraitofHormuzwillbeblocked1.ThejumpinpricecamedespitetheIEA'sannouncementtoreleasearecord400mnbarrelsofoilonWednesday2,andPresidentTrump'sattempttocalmthemarketafterBrentsurgedtoUSD120perbarrelwiththeconflictwillend"verysoon"3.WehighlightthelatestoilsupplyanddomesticfuelpricedevelopmentsthatsuggestthatChinamaybelesssensitivetotheongoingdisruptionintraficthroughtheStraitofHormuzandsurgingprices.Moreover,China'srapidexpansionofrenewableenergyandelectrificationwithmoredomesticpowerplantshavereduceditsvulnerabilitytosuchenergyshocks. YingZhang+85229032652ying.zhang3@barclays.comBarclaysBank,HongKong Limitedimmediateimpact AlleyesontheStraitofHormuz:WhilereportssuggestshippingtraficthroughtheStraitofHormuzdroppedby94%4,IranappearstohavecontinuedtoshiplargevolumesofcrudetoChinathroughtheStrait.TankerTrackers.comdatashowIranexported13.7–16.5millionbarrelsbetween28Februarywhentheconflictbeganand11March5,equivalentto1.1–1.5mnbpd.Thiswouldbebroadlyinlinewiththe1.24mnbpdaveragedailyshipmentstoChinainFebruarybeforetheconflict,byourestimates,suggestinglikelynomeaningfulimpactonIranianoilsupplytoChinasofar.OntheSaudiside,whichsupplies14%ofChina'soilimports,Aramcoexpectstomaintainabout70%ofitsusualcrudeexportsbyreroutingflowsviatheEast–WestpipelineandtheRedSea,limitingspilloverriskstoChina'sbroaderoilimportsecurity6. Retailfuelpricingmechanism:Chinaadjustsitsdomesticretailfuelpricesevery10workingdays,cappingitatUSD130/bbl.Weestimatethat~20%ofthechangeinglobalcrudeoilpriceshaspassedthroughChinesegasolinepricesthusfar,incontrastto~100%insomeothercountries,temperingtheimpactofthesurginginternationalcrudeoilprices.Specifically,domesticgasolineprices(proxiedbyNo.95)wereraisedby7.6%on9Marchfortheperiodof25February-12March,comparedwith~40%increaseinBrentoilprices.Weestimatethepass- Pleaseseeanalystcertificationsandimportantdisclosuresbeginningonpage9. 1https://www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/live-blog/live-updates-iran-war-oil-ship-attacks-hormuz-trump-israel-lebanon-rcna2631012https://www.iea.org/news/iea-member-countries-to-carry-out-largest-ever-oil-stock-release-amid-market-disruptions-from-middle-east-conflict3https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/11/trump-says-iran-war-to-end-soon-as-israel-claims-no-time-limit4https://www.morningstar.com/news/marketwatch/20260306255/only-about-8-ships-a-day-are-passing-through-the-strait-of-hormuz-94-fewer-than-usual5https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/iranian-oil-flows-through-strait-hormuz-even-gulf-neighbors-exports-shut-2026-03-11/6"Aramcowarnsofoilmarket‘catastrophe’unlessstraitofHormuzreopenssoon",theGuardian,10March2026Completed:13-Mar-26,14:00GMT Released:13-Mar-26,22:25GMTRestricted-External throughcouldriseto~35%uponitsnextpriceadjustmenton19Mar,assumingunchangedBrentoilpricesasoftoday. Betterpreparedwithfasterenergytransition Figure1showsChina'senergyconsumptionbreakdown.Itisworthnotingthatoil's18%shareinChina'senergymixiswellbelowtheglobalaverageof30%,accordingtoIEAdata.CoalstilldominatesChina'senergymix,accountingformorethan50%ofChina'senergyconsumption,andislargelyself-suficient.Moreover,theshareofrenewablesandnuclearhasrisento20%. Thepowergenerationmixtellsasimilarstory(Figure2).China's4%shareofoilandgasinelectricitygenerationissignificantlysmallerthan20-40%sharesinmajoreconomies,includingtheUS(22%),Japan(37%)andGermany(20%),accordingtotheStatisticalReviewofWorldEnergy(Figure3).Whilecoal-firedpowerstillcomprisedaround54%oftotalelectricitygenerationin2025,renewableshavegrownrapidly:thesharesofsolarandwindpowerroseto11%eachin2025,from2%and7%,respectively,in2020.Asaresult,theriskofpowershortageinChinaisminimal.Infact,withelectricitysupplyoutpacingdemand,China'selectricitypriceshavebeenonadownwardtrend(Figure4). Economicandpolicyimplications CPIinflationincreasemanageable:EvenifoilpricesweretoremainaroundUSD100/bblin2026,weexpectheadlineCPIinflationtostaybeloworaround1%,wellundertheNPCinflationtargetofaround2%.Wethinkoilpriceshockshavethemostdirectimpactonindustriessuchastransportation,whichcoversmotorfuelsunderthetransportationcomponent,andtourismspendingunderrecreation.Chinaorderedanimmediatebanonrefinedfuelexportson12Marchtopreemptanypotentialdomesticfuelshortage.Inaddition,higheroilpricescouldalsobepasseddownthepetrochemicalvaluechain,whichcouldtriggerenergysubstitutionandspilloverefects,liftingpricesofcoal.Forcontext,wenotecoalpricesrose3%during25February-12March. Monetarypolicylessconstrained:Weseelimitedconstraintsfromhigheroilpricesonthescopeforpolicyeasing.Westillexpe