During January through May, liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries from Russia to China declined by 5 percent year over year, totaling 2.85 million tons. This assessment reflects data reported by TASS and sourced from the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China.
The combined export value for the first five months reached around 1.7 billion dollars, marking a 23 percent decrease compared with the same period in 2023.
In May alone, China sharply curtailed its LNG imports from Russia, with shipments amounting to 47 thousand tons and a year-over-year drop of 42 percent.
Russia remains China’s fourth-largest LNG supplier. Australia continues to lead as the main exporter, supplying 11 million tons to the Chinese market in January through May, valued at about $6.3 billion. Qatar followed with 7.7 million tons and approximately $4.5 billion, then Malaysia with 3.7 million tons and around $1.8 billion.
Overall, Russia’s LNG exports to the region rose by about 3.8 percent over the first five months of the year.
Earlier reports indicated that the European Union is considering gas supply from Russia via Ukraine in the coming year.