Asia's LNG imports remain low due to high prices — Reuters

As reported by Reuters citing analytics platform Kpler, Asia's imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in July 2025 remain at a low level. Shipments are likely to total 22.07 million tons. This is slightly higher than the June figure, but lower than last year's values. For the first seven months of 2025, total imports are down 6.3% compared to the same period in 2024.

The main reason for the drop in Asia's demand was a reduction of purchases by China. According to Reuters, Chinese imports fell to 35.17 million tons. This is 21.2% less than in the first seven months of 2024. High LNG prices make it less competitive compared to pipeline gas and locally produced feedstock. In the first six months of 2025, China's gas production rose 5.8%, while pipeline imports increased 6%.

At the same time, Europe increased LNG imports by 24% to 75.61 million tons in an effort to fill storages before winter and reduce dependence on Russian gas. As Reuters notes, rising demand in Europe is supporting global prices, limiting interest from Asian buyers, who are particularly price-sensitive.