China’s commerce ministry said on Saturday that it had issued an injunction to block US sanctions imposed on five Chinese refiners accused of buying Iranian oil, state news agency Xinhua reported.
The ministry named the five as Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery, and so called “teapot” refineries Shandong Jincheng Petrochemical Group, Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group, Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical and Shandong Shengxing Chemical.
In April, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on Hengli Petrochemical, accusing it of buying billions of dollars in Iranian oil, in an escalation of Washington’s long-running effort to curb Tehran’s oil revenue.
The Trump administration last year imposed sanctions on the other four refineries named by the ministry, among others.
The Chinese ministry said the US sanctions violate “international law and the basic norms of international relations”.
