*Buying from key Asian end-users continues to drive global LNG markets moving into Q3. With demand in Europe remaining weak, the top five Asian buyers – China, Japan, South Korea, India and Taiwan – have also been the top five by some distance so far this year, Kpler data indicate.
*As regards official stats for the Asian top five, total imports were up 7.5% year-on-year at 118.2mn tons for 1H 2024 but this remains below the record 123.8mn tons hit in 1H 2021 (see chart 1). And with regional buying particularly weak for June (see chart 2), 2021’s regional annual record of 244mn tons looks unlikely to be topped. (CONTINUED - 1623 WORDS)
