Imports of Iranian crude oil by major buyers in Asia hit their lowest in more than five years in November as US sanctions on Iran's oil exports took effect last month, government and ship-tracking data showed. China, India, Japan and South Korea last month imported about 664,800 barrels per day (bpd) from Iran, according to the data, down 12.7 percent from the same month a year earlier. South Korea cut imports to zero for a third month in November while Japan followed suit. India's November imports are down about 40 percent from October, the data showed.

Asia's Iranian oil imports are set to rise from December after the United States granted eight countries waivers from sanctions against Iran's oil exports for 180 days. China's Iranian oil imports rebounded to close to 390,000 bpd in November, up from about 247,000 bpd in October, the lowest in more than five years. Japan and South Korea are preparing to resume Iranian oil imports in early 2019.

Copyright Reuters, 2019