China's Zhoushan Xin'ao terminal
China’s LNG imports set for summer spike
Volumes will rise along with temperatures amid rising demand and storage requirements
China’s LNG imports look set for double-digit growth this summer, shrugging off relatively high spot market prices as buyers ramp up purchases to satisfy robust gas demand and the need to refill inventories. Chinese LNG imports soared by more than one-third in April from a year ago, to 6.73mn t. This marked the second-fastest annual growth since April 2019 and the third-biggest monthly volume ever received by China, according to official customs data. The strong imports ahead of the summer demand season—when electricity consumption spikes from greater air conditioning use—have led industry analysts to revise up projections of China’s LNG imports over the second and third quarters. Gas resear
Also in this section
5 March 2026
Gas is a central pillar of Colombia’s energy system, but declining production poses a significant challenge, and LNG will be increasingly needed as a stopgap. A recent major offshore gas discovery offers hope, but policy improvements are also required, Camilo Morales, secretary general of Naturgas, the Colombian gas association, tells Petroleum Economist
4 March 2026
The continent’s inventories were already depleted before conflict erupted in the Middle East, causing prices to spike ahead of the crucial summer refilling season
4 March 2026
The US president has repeatedly promised to lower gasoline prices, but this ambition conflicts with his parallel aim to increase drilling and could be upended by his war against Iran
4 March 2026
With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed following US-Israel strikes and Iran’s retaliatory escalation, Fujairah has become the region’s critical pressure release valve—and is now under serious threat
