According to data from Banchero Costa, “the EU remains the world’s largest importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), accounting for 25.2% of global LNG imports. In the first half of 2025, the EU imported 53.3 million tonnes of LNG, an 18.5% year-on-year increase compared to 45.0 million tonnes in the same period of 2024, and also higher than the record 51.6 million tonnes in the first half of 2023. The UK imported 5.6 million tonnes of LNG in the first half of 2025, a 32.8% year-on-year increase from 4.2 million tonnes in the same period of 2024, but significantly lower than the 10.8 million tonnes in the same period of 2023. Mainland China imported 30.7 million tonnes of LNG in the first half of 2025, a 21.3% year-on-year decrease from 39.0 million tonnes in the same period of 2024. Japan imported 33.5 million tonnes in the first half of 2025, a 1.2% year-on-year increase. South Korea imported 24.6 million tonnes, a 2.3% year-on-year increase. India imported 12.0 million tonnes, an 8.2% year-on-year decrease.”
“Now let’s look at the European situation in more detail. From January to December 2022, EU LNG imports surged by 67.6% year-on-year to 100.1 million tonnes, as the region sought to reduce its dependence on Russian pipeline gas. For the full year 2023, EU LNG imports increased slightly by a further 1.7% to 101.8 million tonnes. In the full year 2024, EU imports decreased by 18.4% year-on-year to 83.1 million tonnes, but remained well above the 59.7 million tonnes in 2021 or 62.8 million tonnes in 2020. As mentioned earlier, in the first half of 2025, EU LNG imports increased to 53.3 million tonnes from 45.0 million tonnes in the same period of 2024, a year-on-year growth of 18.5%, and also higher than the record level of 51.6 million tonnes in the first half of 2023. The main EU LNG receiving ports in 2024 included: Rotterdam (10.3 million tonnes for the full year 2024), Dunkirk (7.7 million tonnes), Zeebrugge (7.4 million tonnes), Porto Levante (6.2 million tonnes), Fos (5.9 million tonnes), Świnoujście (4.8 million tonnes), Montoir (3.7 million tonnes), Sines (3.5 million tonnes), Bilbao (3.4 million tonnes), Eemshaven (2.8 million tonnes), Wilhelmshaven (2.7 million tonnes), Piombino (2.7 million tonnes), Huelva (2.3 million tonnes). In terms of European LNG import sources, the United States currently accounts for as much as 55.6%.”
“In January-June 2025, the EU imported 29.6 million tonnes of LNG from the United States, a 42.5% year-on-year increase from 20.8 million tonnes in the same period of 2024. During the same period, Russia’s LNG exports to the EU decreased to 8.0 million tonnes from 8.8 million tonnes in the first half of 2024, a year-on-year decrease of 8.8%. Nevertheless, Russia’s exports to Europe remained relatively stable, higher than the 7.7 million tonnes in the first half of 2023 and 6.4 million tonnes in the first half of 2021. Russia currently accounts for 15.0% of total EU LNG imports. In the first half of 2025, EU LNG imports from West Africa rebounded by 108.4% year-on-year to 5.4 million tonnes, but still lower than the 5.8 million tonnes in the same period of 2023,” the shipbroking firm concluded.
Nikos Roussanoglou, Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide
