China Petroleum & Chemical Corp Class ASinopec forecasts 8.9% drop in China oil demand for 2026 due to high prices and EV adoption, reducing its core fuel sales.

Sinopec, the world's top refiner by capacity, expects China's oil demand to fall 8.9% in 2026 from a year earlier, driven by high oil prices and accelerating electric vehicle adoption. The company's research arm estimates that oil demand in the world's biggest crude importer will drop by 600,000 barrels per day on average this year. Gasoline demand is projected to decline 8.7%, while diesel consumption is expected to crash 11.4%, with jet fuel the only transportation fuel to rise, up 1.3%. The Iran war and resulting high fuel prices have accelerated the shift to EVs, and Sinopec is reallocating capital toward new energy and chemicals as domestic fuel sales hit their lowest in nearly a decade.
China Petroleum & Chemical Corp Class ASinopec forecasts 8.9% drop in China oil demand for 2026 due to high prices and EV adoption, reducing its core fuel sales.
Sinopec Oilfield Service Corp