Europe's LNG imports surge as Asian demand declines

According to Reuters, higher demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Europe has contributed to a shift in global cargo flows away from Asia. Overall LNG supplies increased in the first half of this year.

Data from commodity analysts at Kpler shows that the total volume of global LNG imports reached 208.62 million tons in the first six months of 2025, marking a 1.7% increase from the same period last year.

In contrast, Asia, the world's largest buyer of LNG, saw its imports decrease by 6.4% to 133.41 million tons. Meanwhile, shipments to Europe surged to 66.43 million tons, a 21.6% increase compared to the first half of 2024. This trend reflects the EU's ongoing transition from pipeline gas to LNG, and is likely to continue as the region works hard to replenish its reserves ahead of peak winter demand, the agency noted.

According to S&P Global Commodity Insights, European storage facilities were 56.8% full at the end of June. This figure is significantly lower than the 75.5% level recorded at the same time last year.