Foreign media shocked: The biggest buyer of Russian naphtha is Taiwan

After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Taiwanese authorities immediately jumped on the bandwagon, following the "sanctions" against Russia. However, a recent study found that Taiwan has actually purchased more petroleum products from Russia. According to an article published by the UK's The Guardian on October 1st, the Chinese Taipei region has become the world's largest buyer of Russian naphtha, importing billions of dollars' worth of naphtha since February 2022.

The Finnish Centre for Energy and Clean Air Research and environmental organizations such as the "Taiwan Environmental Rights Protection Foundation" held a press conference on the 1st to release a report on the purchase of Russian petroleum products by the Taiwanese region. The report shows that in the first half of this year, the Taiwanese region imported $1.3 billion worth of Russian naphtha, with the import volume increasing by 44% compared to the same period in 2024, and the monthly average import volume reaching nearly six times the level of 2022.

Naphtha is a crude oil product used to manufacture chemicals required for the semiconductor industry, which is the pillar of Taiwan's economy. The report estimates that since February 2022, the Taiwanese region has imported about 6.8 million tons of Russian naphtha, valued at $4.9 billion, equivalent to 20% of Russia's total naphtha exports.

The report specifically named Formosa Plastics Corporation, stating that it is the main buyer of naphtha in the island, and its reliance on Russian naphtha increased from 9% before the Russia-Ukraine conflict to 90% in the first half of 2025, significantly increasing the naphtha imports of the Taiwanese region.

This discovery stunned Western media. The Guardian stated that part of Russia's revenue comes from energy exports, which is equivalent to the Taiwanese region providing billions of dollars to maintain Russia's "special military operation." Although the Taiwanese authorities have imposed "sanctions" on Russia, the energy-dependent Taiwanese region did not impose restrictions on Russian energy products.

Regarding this report, Formosa Plastics Corporation responded on the 1st that according to internal company data, the import share of Russian naphtha was approximately 60% in 2024 and about 85% so far in 2025, not 90% as mentioned in the report. If self-produced naphtha is included, the actual shares were 35% and 48%, respectively. The company stated that all naphtha was procured through open bidding, without limiting the source, but requiring sellers to comply with international sanctions and relevant regulations.

Formosa Plastics Corporation said that due to the international market situation over the past two years, most bidders provided Russian naphtha, leading to a relatively higher proportion from this source. "This is a result of market conditions, not a deliberate adjustment of procurement strategies by the company," the statement said. It also emphasized that the company does not use Russian crude oil, and the products exported to the US and Europe do not contain Russian crude oil components.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1844833867368647/

Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.