Crude oil imports off 4% in August

Japan's crude oil imports fell 4.0 percent in August from a year earlier to 125.86 million barrels, the fourth straight monthly decline, the Natural Resources and Energy Agency said Friday.

Imports from the Middle East accounted for 89.7 percent of the total, up 2.6 percentage points from the same month last year, the agency said in a preliminary report.

Saudi Arabia remained the country's No. 1 oil supplier in August, with its exports to Japan rising 1.9 percent from the year before to 37.61 million barrels.

The United Arab Emirates ranked second, with shipments edging up 1.1 percent to 35.22 million barrels. Qatar was third, with exports to Japan jumping 46.3 percent to 15.03 million barrels.

Iran came in fourth, with shipments slipping 19.3 percent to 12.33 million barrels. Kuwait ranked fifth.