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Where does China get its liquefied natural gas (LNG)? Import sources 2024

In 2024, China imported $43.6 billion of liquefied natural gas (LNG) (76.2 million tonnes), 19.9% of the world total. Its main sources were Australia (34%), Qatar (24%) and Russia (11%). China was the world’s largest importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Summary

Value
$43.6billion
Tonnes
76.2million tonnes
Share of world total
19.9%
World rank
1st
Routes from the main sources. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Sources

The 20 main sources in the latest year.

PartnerValue (USD billions)TonnesUSD per tonneShareMode
Australia15Tonnes: 26,181,930USD per tonne: $57234.4%Sea
Qatar10.6Tonnes: 18,336,689USD per tonne: $57824.3%Sea
Russia5Tonnes: 8,283,579USD per tonne: $60211.5%Land
Malaysia3.7Tonnes: 7,755,642USD per tonne: $4748.4%Sea
United States2.2Tonnes: 3,727,173USD per tonne: $5875%Sea
Indonesia2.1Tonnes: 3,486,795USD per tonne: $6134.9%Sea
Papua New Guinea1.6Tonnes: 2,355,519USD per tonne: $6793.7%Sea
Nigeria0.82Tonnes: 1,367,542USD per tonne: $5971.9%Sea
Oman0.65Tonnes: 1,112,801USD per tonne: $5871.5%Sea
United Arab Emirates0.44Tonnes: 851,323USD per tonne: $5221%Sea
Brunei0.42Tonnes: 724,362USD per tonne: $5820.97%Sea
Mozambique0.41Tonnes: 800,346USD per tonne: $5160.95%Sea
Peru0.15Tonnes: 352,810USD per tonne: $4170.34%Sea
Equatorial Guinea0.13Tonnes: 189,620USD per tonne: $7040.31%Sea
Singapore re-exports0.11Tonnes: 221,359USD per tonne: $5120.26%Sea
Cameroon0.1Tonnes: 143,571USD per tonne: $7140.24%Sea
Egypt0.08Tonnes: 126,817USD per tonne: $6360.19%Sea
Trinidad and Tobago0.03Tonnes: 67,883USD per tonne: $4130.06%Sea
Algeria0.02Tonnes: 33,763USD per tonne: $6620.05%Sea
Norway0.02Tonnes: 42,113USD per tonne: $5220.05%Sea

Trend

Who it buys from

Australia has been its main source since 2016

Value in USD billions. The five largest sources in 2024.

  • Australia 15
  • Qatar 10.6
  • Russia 5
  • Malaysia 3.7
  • United States 2.2

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
Australia015
Qatar010.6
Russia05
Malaysia03.7
United States< 0.012.2

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), which reconciles what exporters and importers report: countries that stopped reporting (Russia since 2022) appear with their partners’ data. FOB values in current US dollars; tonnes when BACI reports them. The price per tonne is the value of the rows with a weight divided by that weight. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Data up to 2024.

Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands and Belgium re-export goods from other countries: their figures include transit.

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