China’s Ministry of Commerce blocked sanctions against five refineries accused by the Treasury Department of purchasing Iranian oil on Saturday, according to state media.

The Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the Hengli Petrochemical Refinery on April 24, while the other four refineries had sanctions imposed on them back in 2025, according to Reuters.

The ministry claimed that the sanctions “violate international law and the basic norms of international relations,” while the injunction “stipulates that the United States cannot recognize, implement, or comply with the sanctions imposed on the aforementioned five Chinese companies.”

Colloquially known as ‘teapots,’ these independent oil refiners purchase the majority of Iran’s crude oil. According to the department, Hengli is the second-largest teapot refinery in China and “has received Iranian oil cargoes from a host of sanctioned shadow fleet vessels” since at least 2023.

The other four refiners are Shandong Jincheng Petrochemical Group, Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group, Shougang Luqing Petrochemical, and Shandong Shengxing Chemical.

The department also issued sanctions against 40 shipping firms and vessels during that late April announcement. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said then that “Economic Fury is imposing a financial stronghold on the Iranian regime, hampering its aggression in the Middle East, and helping to curtail its nuclear ambitions.”

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The announcement comes ahead of a May 14-15 visit between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

It is the first scheduled visit to China by a U.S. president since Trump went in his first term in 2017.