BEIJING: China's crude imports from Iran in the first half of the year were up nearly 50 percent, although shipments in June dropped nearly a third from May to the lowest level in four months.

China, Tehran's largest oil client, began stepping up purchases from the OPEC member after a preliminary nuclear deal in November of last year eased some sanctions on Iran. China has been making up the main portion of Asia's higher Iranian oil imports since then.

Mostly owing to China's increases since the interim deal was agreed, Asian buyers are expected to import about 1.25 million to 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd) of Iranian oil in the first half of the year, industry and government sources have said.

China's June imports from Iran came in at 2.18 million tons, or 531,200 bpd, up 38 percent from a year ago and down 30 percent from May, customs data showed on Monday.

Imports from Iran for the first half of the year were 627,742 bpd, up 48 percent from 424,183 bpd over the same six months of last year, the data showed.

June's level eased back to a normal contract rate versus record and near-record shipments seen in April and May, as top state refiner Sinopec Corp. may have slowed down loading from Iran, according to a source.

Sinopec had been planning to cut back its June shipments from Iran because of the high volumes of the previous two months, the trading source familiar with loading plans had earlier told Reuters.

China's imports from Iran spiked to a record in April and remained high in May. June's figures were at the lowest since February, on par with December-March daily imports and near pre-2012 levels, before tough Western sanctions were imposed.