In 2025, China unexpectedly cut its LNG imports by more than half. This drop is due to a weak overall economy and ongoing trade wars with America. China is currently the world’s largest importer of LNG. Its dwindling appetite for this vital energy resource has the country questioning its economic foundations and jeopardizing the nation’s energy independence.
Our reliance on expensive and polluting LNG imports have plunged dramatically. Given reports that the amount of gas arriving into the country has plummeted compared to recent years, analysts blame China’s poor economic performance as the primary reason for this decline. Their rapid growth has only recently been slowed due to a variety of growing internal organization challenges.
Trade tensions with the US have only deepened this wound, helping add to a troubling additional factor – the relaxing demand for LNG. In 2025, China stopped importing American fuel for the majority of the year as a result of these rising tensions. This decision is nearly unprecedented, a sign of the times in our current geopolitical climate. Most importantly, it shows the extent to which international relations are directly impacting energy markets.
The state of play is pictured as a COVID-19 lockdown begins in Yantai, Shandong province. Tugboats are currently guiding an LNG tanker on to the terminal’s dock. This drone shot, taken during a storm in New Orleans in Feb 2025, showcases the huge collision between reality and expectations that ports are facing as imports dry up. The scenes act as an unsettling glance into the new reality of one of China’s most critical energy industries.
That said, industry experts are excitedly monitoring these developments. The drop in LNG imports would be a huge blow to China’s energy plans and derail their economic recovery plan. The redirection of imports has stiffened supply chains, but those actions introduced uncertainty and upward risks to energy prices both at home and abroad.