Japanese refiners are aiming to resume loadings of Iranian oil from January, but won’t take the risk of loading cargoes beyond March amid doubts over whether Washington would extend the 180-day sanctions waiver, Petroleum Association of Japan President Takashi Tsukioka said Thursday. Receive daily email alerts, subscriber notes & personalize your experience. Register Now “Despite facing various hurdles, we believe we are moving toward the lifting [of Iranian oil] with the US [sanctions] waiver,” Tsukioka said when asked to comment on his outlook on Iranian oil imports amid uncertainty over shipping insurance. Tsukioka added that Japanese refiners would focus on importing Iranian oil by March because of the uncertainty over whether the US would extend the current 180-day sanctions waiver. “We aim to lift as much as possible over January-March to keep our hope for the next [period],” Tsukioka said. Refiners in Japan, along with South Korean […]