Media: China re-exports LNG in record 280,000 tons Easing Europe’s Energy Crisis

China has set a new record for liquefied natural gas (LNG) re-exports, shipping out more than 280,000 tonnes of the fuel in April, the highest volume ever recorded for a single month.

According to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg, this figure represents 7.7% of the nation's total LNG imports for the month, Caliber.Az reports.

The surge in re-exports is attributed to weak domestic demand, driven by a mild winter and strong inventories, which have left China with little immediate need for the super-chilled fuel. Additionally, the country stands to gain from higher LNG prices abroad. As a result, China’s LNG imports are expected to decrease this month, continuing a downward trend that has now lasted for six consecutive months.

While the re-exportation of LNG shipments from Chinese ports is an uncommon practice, the nation has increasingly turned to this strategy since November 2024. Data from Bloomberg reveals that the volume of such exports has risen since the beginning of the year. Before this, the last LNG re-exports from China occurred in January 2024. According to Kpler, an analytics firm monitoring ship data, around 160,000 tonnes of LNG were exported in April.

These resales could offer significant relief to buyers in other regions, particularly in Europe, where importers are looking to replenish their inventories and replace Russian pipeline deliveries that have been disrupted.

Earlier in the year, Chinese importers had redirected much of their US LNG contracts to Europe in search of higher profits, driven by weak domestic demand and tariffs on American fuel.

By Aghakazim Guliyev