In September, Russia exported 3.36 million tons of liquefied natural gas, which is 35% more than a year earlier. According to Kpler, as reported by “Kommersant”, about 2.12 million tons went to the Asia-Pacific countries – China, Japan, and South Korea – while approximately 0.72 million tons were sent to Europe.
From January to September, Russian LNG exports reached 25.35 million tons, an increase of 14% year-on-year. Supplies to Asia-Pacific countries grew by 16.9%, to 12.82 million tons. China increased purchases to 7.43 million tons – approximately 60% compared to the same period last year. Asia's share in total Russian LNG exports rose to 50.6% from 49.4% a year earlier.
The September growth is largely due to the recovery of shipments from the Yamal LNG project after scheduled August maintenance. The dynamics were also influenced by the schedule of Arctic deliveries: some cargoes in August were first delivered to transshipment points in Murmansk and Kamchatka, and then sent to final customers. The seasonal opening of the eastern route of the Northern Sea Route also increases the possibilities for supplying Arctic LNG to Asia.
At the same time, the European direction still maintains a significant volume of supplies. From January to September, Russian LNG exports to the EU grew by approximately 7%, although in September they decreased by 22% year-on-year. EU rules provide for a ban on imports of Russian LNG under short-term contracts from April 25, 2026, and under long-term contracts from January 1, 2027.
