Japan oil sales fall to lowest in over 40 years for month of March

TOKYO: Japan's oil sales last month were 15.9 million kilolitres (3.23 million barrels per day), down 3.7 percent from a year earlier, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said on Friday, the lowest March volume in more than four decades.

Oil demand in the world's third-biggest economy has been declining for more than a decade, reflecting a falling population and a shift to more efficient vehicles and equipment.

Japan's crude oil imports in March fell 10 percent from a year earlier to 3.2 million barrels per day.