AsiaLNG Terminals

China’s 2020 LNG imports hit record 67.13 million tonnes

By Mirza Duran
China's 2020 LNG imports hit record 67.13 million tonnes
Hoegh Esperanza FSRU at Tianjin LNG terminal in China (Image: Hoegh LNG)

China’s LNG imports hit an all-time high last year rising 11.5 percent when compared to the year before.

The world’s top energy consumer imported 67.13 million tonnes in 2020, cementing its position as the second-largest LNG importer, after Japan, data from the General Administration of Customs shows.

In addition, December LNG imports also hit a monthly record as the country battled a cold snap. China imported 7.59 million tonnes last month, a year-on-year rise of 18.2 percent.

Moreover, China’s pipeline gas imports also increased in December by 18.9 percent to 3.63 million tonnes.

These imports declined by 4.9 percent in the January-December period reaching 34.53 million tonnes.

China is expected to overtake Japan as the world’s largest LNG importer in 2021.

Japan’s Ministry of Finance has still not released official data for December but the country’s imports have been declining the whole year logging nine monthly declines in volumes.

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