Japan’s LNG imports for 2023 drop to 14-year low and China regains the No. 1 spot as importer with late surge
Japanese liquefied natural gas imports dropped by just over 8 percent in 2023 to a 14-year low as more nuclear, renewables and high levels of coal were used and the nation was again overtaken by China as the world’s No. 1 LNG importer.
Japanese LNG imports plunge with more cargoes in storage and competition from thermal coal and nuclear
Japanese liquefied natural gas imports plunged by more than 20 percent in June from the same month last year while half-year imports fell 13 percent with more competition coming from thermal coal and nuclear and more gas storage being built earlier in 2023 as prices declined.
Japanese LNG import costs begin to rise as latest monthly volumes jumped by 14.6 percent
Japanese LNG import costs have begun to rise as the volumes also jumped by 14.6 percent in January for both long-term contracted cargoes and spot shipments.
Japanese LNG imports hit record high
LNG imports to Japan have reached a new record, surging 5.7% year-on-year to 7.84 million tons in July due to rising seasonal demand from utilities as the nuclear void continues, government data shows.
Japan: Restart of two reactors to have little effect on LNG prices
Regulatory findings that Kysuhu Electric Power could safely restart two Japanese nuclear reactors are expected to have merely a marginal effect on the price paid for LNG imports, analysts said. For prices to fall significantly, more of the country's 46 reactors would have to resume operations.
