China-Australia relations: LNG imports hit record in April due to industrial demand, climate change pledge

Shipments from Australia totalled 3.06 million tonnes last month, accounting for about 45 per cent of China’s total liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports

The market share of Australian LNG in China has dropped to around 40 per cent in the first four months of this year from 46 per cent in 2019

2-MIN READ2-MIN

Around 3.16 million tonnes of LNG are scheduled to arrive in China from Australia in May, while 2.05 million tonnes were heading to Chinese ports as of Friday, according to Refinitiv trade flows data. Photo: Imaginechina

Published: 4:30am, 22 May 2021Updated: 9:20am, 22 May 2021

China’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from Australia hit a record high in April, bolstered by robust industrial demand and Beijing’s climate change pledges, and analysts expect they will remain strong despite souring relations between the two countries.

Shipments from Australia to China totalled 3.06 million tonnes last month, up 10 per cent from the same period last year and accounting for about 45 per cent of China’s total LNG imports, data from the General Administration of Customs showed.

The market share of Australian LNG in China has dropped to around 40 per cent in the first four months of this year from 46 per cent in 2019, as exporters such as Russia and Indonesia made more spot trades, but Australia remains the biggest supplier of the clean fossil fuel to China.

China “indefinitely” suspended all activity under a China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue earlier this month, which has triggered fresh worries about key commodities trade between the two countries.

But there are little evidence of any restrictions on the LNG trade, even as Chinese trade sanctions hit various Australian goods including coal, copper concentrates and wine.

“State-owned enterprises purchase most of China’s LNG imports and they do that mostly on contract. We estimate only 5 per cent of current spot cargo imports is at risk,” said ANZ analyst Daniel Hynes.

Despite increasing spot trades by second-tier gas importers, mostly city-gas firms, contracted cargoes still dominate LNG imports, making up more than 75 per cent.

Beijing could look at changes in regulation or alternative sources for its LNG to reduce dependence on Australia for this transition fuel.