U.S. Sanctions Risk for Banks Involved with Chinese Teapot Refineries

The U.S. Treasury warned banks that engaging with Chinese 'teapot' refineries processing Iranian oil could lead to sanctions. Approximately 90% of Iran's oil exports are purchased by China, with these refineries constituting the majority of imports. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized that sanctions against entities facilitating transactions could have significant repercussions. Notably, Iran could lose about $170 million in daily revenue as its main export terminal nears storage capacity. Last week, the U.S. sanctioned Hengli Petrochemical and four other refineries for their ties to Iranian oil.