TOKYO -- Japan's crude oil imports from Iran in the year 2001 exceeded 197 million barrels, a rise of 9.2 percent compared to the figure registered over the year before.

Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) in a press release on Monday said Iran stood the third major oil supplier to Japan last year for export of 197.33 million barrels of crude oil.

The report said Japan's crude oil imports from the Persian Gulf littoral states in the year 2001 rose by 1.7 percent compared to the year before, standing at more than 1.374 billion barrels.

Japan's crude imports declined by 1.4 percent in the year 2001.

The UAE was major oil exporter to Japan in the year 2001 followed by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait.