China's gas imports up 21% in January-April

China's natural gas imports via pipeline and in the form of LNG were 43mn tonnes during January-April, up 20.7% year/year, according to data released by the customs department on May 9.

The month of April alone saw imports of 10.3mn tonnes, highlighting the continued momentum in gas imports.

This surge in natural gas imports can be attributed to softer global LNG prices, which have made imports more attractive. Last year, China imported a total of 119.9mn tonnes of natural gas, up 9.9% compared to the previous year, as announced by the department in January.