Taiwan’s CPC turns to spot market, diversifies LNG supply amid Middle East conflict in Freight News 03/06/2026 Taiwan’s state-run CPC Corporation has emerged as Northeast Asia’s most active spot LNG buyer since the outbreak of the Middle East conflict, ramping up purchases to offset supply disruptions and diversify procurement away from its traditional suppliers. Taiwan is among the most exposed buyers in Northeast Asia to Qatari LNG, with nearly 40% of its long-term contracted supply sourced from Qatar, according to S&P Global Energy CERA data. “Taiwan needs to buy about seven cargoes a month to substitute for Qatari cargoes,” an LNG trader based in North Asia said. Since the start of the war, CPC has repeatedly entered the market through spot tenders, often seeking up to three cargoes at a time. Its latest tender, which closed May 26, sought two August-delivery cargoes and one September-delivery cargo, according to market sources. Market participants said CPC has also supplemented tender activity with bilateral purchases, as heightened geopolitical risks, freight uncertainty and volatile prices pushed importers to prioritize speed, discretion and flexibility. One trader estimated CPC has secured an average of one to two spot cargoes per week since the conflict began three months ago. This would mean an estimated total of 12-24 spot cargoes for March-September deliveries, aligning with an earlier announcement that the country had secured enough natural gas supplies through September. About half of CPC’s spot purchases are based on tenders, said the North Asia-based trader. While buying through a tender can reach sellers efficiently, buyers are sometimes cautious about sharing their buying strategies with the market, leaving CPC some room to buy spot cargoes bilaterally, LNG traders said. A third LNG trader said end-users were increasingly cautious about signaling buying interest through public tenders, fearing that visible demand could reinforce bullish sentime