France energy imports: petroleum products
France energy imports: petroleum products stood at 75,328.99 GWh in Jul 2026, according to SDES – Service des données et études statistiques (Ministère de la Transition écologique). It is one of the indicators in the Monthly energy balances table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Jan 1981 to Jul 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Monthly energy balances table
| Indicator | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trade | |||||||||||
| Imports of petroleum products | 75,328.99 | 63,548.69 | 70,651.86 | 78,842.14 | 78,914.15 | 75,331.33 | 77,173.75 | 75,653.54 | 77,966.39 | ||
| Imports of natural gas | 28,063.48 | 19,878.61 | 20,529.27 | 24,584.21 | 30,505.58 | 30,206.77 | 22,842.9 | 16,923.82 | 15,080.94 | 22,782.95 |
Understanding france energy imports: petroleum products
Procurement of refined liquid hydrocarbons from foreign suppliers forms the basis of this trade series, tracking the physical volume of gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, and related petroleum derivatives entering the domestic market. Distinguished from crude oil imports that require domestic refinery processing, this category captures ready-to-use liquid fuels destined immediately for distribution networks or storage terminals. The data aggregates various liquid petroleum grades into standard energy equivalents, separating refined product flows from primary crude shipments.
Interpretation of these figures must account for refinery maintenance cycles and sudden disruptions in international maritime supply chains, which cause pronounced short-term volatility. Early estimates based on customs declarations frequently face revision after reconciliation with terminal operator records. Analysts should not treat this series as a proxy for total petroleum consumption, as domestic refineries also produce substantial liquid fuel volumes that supply the final market.
Frequently asked questions
- Does this series include crude oil imports?
- No, crude oil is recorded separately, whereas this series captures only processed and refined liquid petroleum products.
- How are different refined fuels aggregated into a single figure?
- Physical volumes of various petroleum grades are converted into standard thermal energy equivalents.
- Why do monthly refined product imports experience sharp fluctuations?
- Variations stem from domestic refinery outages, shifting transport costs, and sudden changes in commercial inventory strategies.