ARock

The U.S. Can Never Blockade Every Nation Petrobras’s exports to the United States have dropped to zero. In the first quarter of this year, approximately 62% of the company’s seaborne crude oil shipments were bound for China, making China the largest destination for its oil. India emerged as the second-largest destination, receiving oil shipments that accounted for roughly 15% of Petrobras’s total exports—an increase from the 14% recorded during the same period last year. Additionally, exports to Europe declined from 19% in the first quarter of last year to 8%. Reports indicate that during the first quarter, Petrobras exported approximately 1.12 million barrels per day of oil and petroleum derivatives, representing a year-on-year increase of 47%. The company stated that its domestic oil production in Brazil grew by approximately 16% during the quarter, reaching 2.58 million barrels per day; concurrently, total sales of oil, natural gas, and their derivatives rose by about 12% year-on-year, reaching 3.22 million barrels per day. Oil, the U.S. dollar, and semiconductors constitute the three primary weapons the United States employs against China (though, in reality, the U.S. "tariff cudgel" has proven to be its most ineffective tool). From the start of the Trump administration’s first term to the present day, the Chinese economy has—ironically, with the "assistance" of the United States—demonstrated even greater resilience and untapped domestic potential, while its channels for external exports and energy supplies have become significantly more diversified.