More than 70 per cent of oil-laden vessels departing the British Columbia port have sailed for China. Photo by John Sinal/Vancouver Fraser Port Authority/Postmedia files

Canadian oil exports to China are on pace for a record month amid a surge of purchases as the Asian giant pivots away from United States crude .

Almost 5 million barrels have been shipped out of Vancouver so far in October, a record for the first 15 days of any month, according to Vortexa ship tracking data.

Chinese buyers were recently stockpiling more than half a million barrels a day of foreign crude to take advantage of steep price discounts for Russian and Iranian oil amid growing U.S. pressure to economically hobble those nations.

More than 70 per cent of oil-laden vessels departing the British Columbi

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