Mojnews 21 April- Japan's main crude importers have renewed their contracts with Iran for another year.

Japan's Cosmo Oil Co has renewed its annual oil purchase deal with Iran and cut the volume to comply with US sanctions against the Islamic nation, trade sources said on Friday.

Cosmo's new contractual volume from April onwards remained unclear.

The company had already lowered its Iran crude imports to a little below 30,000 bpd from about 40,000 bpd since January, the sources said.

Japan's top buyer of Iranian crude, Showa Shell Sekiyu KK, has already renewed its deal, industry sources have said.

The contract renewal came after Iran agreed to include a clause in contract terms that released Japanese buyers from any penalty if international sanctions prevent them from taking delivery of Iranian oil, sources said.