Chinese January LNG Imports Spike

China’s LNG imports in January 2018 jumped year on year, setting a new record. According to customs data released February 23, China imported 5.18mn metric tons of LNG last month, up little over 51% year on year.

Chinese imports have been rising since the start of 2017 as demand for gas surged in households and industries. Full year January-December 2017 LNG imports to China were a record 38.13mn mt, up over 46% on the 2016 volume. China has edged ahead of South Korea to become the world's largest LNG import nation, after Japan.

The spike in Chinese LNG imports last year was mainly driven by government’s push to force household and industries to switch from coal to cleaner fuels such as natural gas.