BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 21. The global LNG market is undergoing a major shift, with Europe set to become the primary destination for LNG imports in 2025, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), Trend reports.
This shift is driven by evolving regional demand, with European imports rising sharply while Asian imports are slowing.
The change in trade flows became evident during the winter of 2024/25, with Asian LNG imports flattening out in late 2024 and falling by 6% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025. This decline was primarily due to mild winter weather, especially in China, where overall gas demand dropped.
In contrast, European LNG imports surged by 23% in the first quarter of 2025, with more than 9 bcm of additional LNG arriving on the continent. This growth was fueled by flexible U.S. LNG supplies, which can be resold based on shifting price dynamics. With European prices remaining favorable compared to Asia, more U.S. cargoes were redirected to Europe.
For the full year, the IEA projects European LNG imports to increase by 25%, or about 33 bcm, as the region seeks to replace declining Russian pipeline gas and meet higher domestic demand. This marks a dramatic reversal from 2024, when European LNG imports fell by nearly 30 bcm.
