SunSirs: IGU: Global LNG Trade Hits Record High in 2025

According to a report by Mining Weekly on Wednesday, the International Gas Union (IGU) stated that strong U.S. exports and rising European imports offset weak purchasing from Asia, driving global liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade to a record high last year.

However, the IGU warned that conflict in the Middle East could lead to a contraction in 2026.

IGU President Andrea Stegher noted, "Conflict in the Gulf has already caused damage to LNG infrastructure and cast doubt on the prospects for capacity expansion in the region, while Asian buyers face uncertainty regarding supply and rising prices."

Global LNG trade grew by 6.3% to 436.98 million tons, marking the fastest growth rate since 2022, the IGU reported.

Europe saw the largest increase in imports, rising by 26.1 million tons to 126.2 million tons, driven primarily by the need to replenish inventories and replace declining imports from Russia.

Asia-Pacific remained the largest LNG-importing region with 168.7 million tons, though imports there fell by 9.2 million tons, largely due to reduced demand from China and India.

China remained the world's largest LNG importer at 69.77 million tons, although its import volume dropped by 8.9 million tons compared to the previous year.

The report highlighted divergent trends in Asia: China's imports declined due to strong domestic supply growth and increased pipeline gas imports from Russia, whereas Southeast Asian nations saw rising demand for spot LNG imports due to falling domestic production.

Japan was the second-largest importer at 67.37 million tons, while South Korea's imports rose by 1.7 million tons to 48.67 million tons.

The IGU stated that sustained increases in LNG prices could put pressure on demand in emerging Asian economies, particularly in South and Southeast Asia.

China's LNG re-exports grew by 45.8% to 0.67 million tons.

The United States remained the world's largest LNG exporter at 110.74 million tons, followed by Qatar (81.51 million tons) and Australia (80.32 million tons). The IGU has 130 member countries, accounting for more than 90% of the global market share.

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