First US Crude Cargos Head to China Since Trade Breakthrough

First US Crude Cargos Head to China Since Trade Breakthrough
Crude oil storage tanks are seen from above at the oil hub, in Cushing, Okla., on March 24, 2016. Nick Oxford/Reuters
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HOUSTON—Three cargos of U.S. crude are heading to China from the U.S. Gulf Coast, trade sources said on Jan. 15, the first departures since late September and a 90-day pause in the two countries’ trade war that began last month.

The vessels left Galveston, Texas, last month and are scheduled to arrive at Chinese ports between late January and early March, according to shipbrokers and vessel tracking data. The shipments mark a change since Chinese buyers largely began avoiding U.S. oil during the trade dispute that flared last summer.