Global Energy Flows and Southeast Asian Demand
In recent months, Southeast Asian heat has reshaped energy markets. Demand for coal, gas, and fuel from Russia has surged, while China and India continue to be the largest buyers of Russian raw materials. This snapshot comes from The Bloomberg agency, drawing on statistics provided by analysts at Kpler. (Source: Bloomberg via Kpler analytics)
Beyond China and India, a cluster of Asian economies—Vietnam, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and South Korea—have grown as significant purchasers of Russian energy resources. Analysts note that these nations account for roughly 15 percent of Russia’s raw material exports to the Asian region. (Source: Bloomberg via Kpler analytics)
Russian coal exports saw a notable uptick. In April, volumes rose by about one third year over year, reaching 7.46 million tons. Liquefied natural gas shipments to Asia have climbed in the recent months, underscoring a broader rebound in Russian energy trade. The period of March and April marked two record months for Russian fuel imports within the historical dataset. (Source: Bloomberg via Kpler analytics)
Discounts offered by Moscow have supported this growth, even as international sanctions, including price ceilings on oil and petroleum products, shape the pricing landscape for Russia’s energy exports. (Source: Bloomberg via Kpler analytics)
On the metals side, the RIA Novosti agency reported that coking coal prices in Russia climbed about 30 percent, in line with global trends where price offers rose around 40 percent. The spread is driven in part by rising costs for key ore reserves, which feed into the production of rolled metal products. (Source: RIA Novosti reporting on market movements)