(MENAFN - Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) TOKYO, Jan 3 (KUNA) -- Kuwait's crude oil exports to Japan jumped 46.0 percent in November from a year earlier to 7.18 million barrels, or 239,000 barrels per day (bpd), for the first rise in two months, according to the government data.

As Japan's fourth-biggest oil provider, Kuwait supplied 7.2 percent of the Asian nation's total crude imports, compared with 5.2 percent in the same month of last year, the Japanese Natural Resources and Energy Agency said in a preliminary report.

Japan's overall imports of crude oil grew 5.9 percent year-on-year to 3.33 million bpd for the first gain in four months.

Shipments from the Middle East accounted for 90.8 percent of the total, up 2.4 percentage points from a year before.

Saudi Arabia remained in the top spot, with imports from the kingdom rising 12.5 percent from a year earlier to 1.39 million bpd, followed by the United Arab Emirates with 828,000 bpd, up 7.5 percent.

Qatar ranked third with 263,000 bpd and Iran fifth with 193,000 bpd, respectively.

Japan is the world's-third biggest oil consumer after the US and China, importing virtually all its fossil fuels. (end) mk.tg

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