TEHRAN- As reported by Reuters, China's imports of Iranian oil surged in March.

China's oil imports from Iran surpassed 1.8 million barrels per day last month, an all-time high, coinciding with a rise in inventory levels in independent refining hub Shandong province, according to data by ship tracking firm Vortexa.

Data from analytics firm Kpler put China's Iranian oil imports at 1.71 million bpd in March, up 20 percent from 1.43 million bpd in February and a five-month high, while two traders who track Iranian flows into China estimated March imports at 1.67 million bpd and 1.8 million bpd, respectively.

China, which opposes unilateral sanctions, buys some 90 percent of Iran's oil exports.