China No.1 oil importer

The EIA said China will overtake the US as the world's largest net oil importer by October, and that next year China’s net oil imports will exceed those of the US on an annual basis with the gap continuing to widen.

According to the EIA forecast cited in the article, China will become the world’s largest net oil importer by October, and on an annual basis will surpass the US next year.

A "net oil importer" refers to a country that imports more oil than it exports. In this context, the EIA expects China’s imports to exceed its exports and outpace US net imports.

The EIA projects that next year China’s net oil imports will be larger than the US’s on an annual basis, and that the gap between China and the US will continue to widen.

Yes. The article notes China is already the biggest energy user in the world and the second-largest oil consumer after the United States.

Being the biggest energy user means China consumes more total energy across all fuels and sources. Oil is one component of overall energy use, and the article states China is the second-largest oil consumer after the US.

The EIA’s forecast indicates a shift in net import demand toward China: by October China is expected to become the world’s largest net oil importer and, on an annual basis next year, to import more net oil than the US.

The projection comes from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), which reported that China will overtake the US as the world’s largest net oil importer by October and that China’s annual net imports will exceed the US next year.