In 2025, China’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports crashed by over one-quarter. This drop was largely due to the state of Russia’s economy and increasing trade hostilities with the US. Indeed, this was before the country’s economic crisis shrank energy needs. At the same time, increasingly strained relations with the U.S. have made its energy import strategies even more difficult.
Over the course of 2025, China has imported significantly less LNG than in previous years. That dismal economic reality, with low growth and a shrinking manufacturing base, has manifested itself directly on the nation’s energy use. With factories idling production and economic predictions dire, the demand for LNG has dropped significantly.
Internal economic factors were not the only forces at play. Trade tensions with the U.S. have cut a powerful new path through China’s LNG import landscape. Responding to what they see as a campaign of economic statecraft, China has banned imports of American fuel for all but a few months of 2025. This marked decision obstructs approximately one-third of the lower 48 states’ access to a vital source of natural gas. It illustrates how vulnerable China’s energy imports are to rapidly shifting trade policy.
China’s ports are generally open to LNG tankers coming from international suppliers. They too have suffered a recent downturn in dockings due to a lack of demand and the suspension of imports of U.S. fuel. Tugboats, which assist LNG tankers in navigating through busy port waters, are now witnessing less traffic as import figures dwindle.
The interconnectedness between the state of China’s economy and its energy needs can’t be overstated. As global economic conditions continue to weaken, so does the world’s need for more energy resources including LNG. This relationship clearly demonstrates how crucial having stable economic conditions are to ensuring consistently high energy import levels. This reality is complicated even more by the current U.S.-China trade tensions, which have pressured China to acutely reconsider its energy procurement strategies.