US LNG Exports on the Rise, with EU the Main Recipient in Hellenic Shipping News 06/02/2026 US LNG exports rose significantly during 2025, with EU importing the most. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Banchero Costa said that “global seaborne LNG trade grew sharply until 2022, then almost flatlined in 2023-2024, rebounding strongly in 2025 to record levels. In Jan-Dec 2023, global shipments of LNG increased by just +1.4% y-o-y to 408.7 mln t, based on LSEG vessel tracking data. In Jan-Dec 2024 there was no growth at all, with shipment volumes down -0.1% y-o-y at 408.1 mln t. In Jan-Dec 2025, global LNG shipments increased by +6.0% y-o-y to 432.5 mln tonnes, from 408.1 mln t in Jan-Dec 2024”. According to Banchero Costa, “the largest exporter of LNG is by far the USA, which accounted for 25.7% of shipments in Jan-Dec 2025, followed by Qatar with 18.8%, Australia with 18.4%, South-East Asia with 10.5%, and Russia with 7.0%. In Jan-Dec 2025, the USA exported 110.9 mln tonnes of LNG, which represented a +26.1% y-o-y increase from the 88.0 mln t shipped in JanDec 2024. Qatar exported 81.2 mln tonnes in Jan-Dec 2025, up +5.1% y-o-y. Australia shipments decreased to 79.7 mln tonnes in Jan-Dec 2025, down -2.4% y-o-y. From South East Asia shipments decreased -0.7% y-o-y to 45.6 mln t. Russia shipped 30.3 mln tonnes of LNG in Jan-Dec 2025, down -4.4% y-o-y and matching Jan-Dec 2021 volumes”. Meanwhile, “the European Union remains the world’s largest importer of LNG. In Jan-Dec 2025, the EU imported 104.6 mln tonnes of LNG, up +25.9% y-o-y, accounting for 24.3% of global LNG imports. China imported 68.2 mln t in Jan-Dec 2025, down -13.3% y-o-y from 78.6 mln t in Jan-Dec 2024, accounting for 15.8% of global imports. Japan imported 67.3 mln t in Jan-Dec 2025, down -0.1% y-o-y, and now accounts for 15.6% of global imports. South Korea imported 49.0 mln t in Jan-Dec 2025, up +2.9% y-o-y from 47.7 mln t in Jan-Dec 2024, and now accounts for 11.4% of global imports. In 2021, exports from the USA increased by a massive +50.3% y-o-y, whilst in 2022 growth was +9.5% y-o-y, in 2023 it was +11.8% y-o-y, in 2024 it was down -0.9% y-o-y. Jan-Dec 2025 took a sharp turn from 2024’s disappointments, with USA exports surging 26.1% y-o-y to 110.8 mln tonnes”. “The US continued to dominate global LNG export markets, maintaining its position as the world’s top exporter. Top LNG loading ports in the United States in 2025 were: Sabine Pass (30.1 mln t in Jan-Dec 2025), Corpus Christi (17.1 mln t), Davant (16.3 mln t), Freeport (15.9 mln t), Cameron (14.0 mln t). In terms of destinations for American LNG, the main routes are now transatlantic to the EU and North Africa. In Jan-Dec 2025, LNG exports from the USA to the EU increased by +63% y-o-y to 60.2 mln tonnes from 37.0 mln t in 2024. The EU is now the destination for 54.3% of the USA’s total LNG exports in Jan-Dec 2025. Volumes to North Africa increased by a staggering +259.1% y-o-y to 8.7 mln t in 2025, from 2.4 mln t in 2024. The UK was the destination for 10.3% of US LNG shipments in JanDec 2025 Outside Europe, the third top destination is Turkey, which accounted for 6.6% of USA LNG shipments in 2025. Shipments from the USA to Turkey increased by +67.6% y-o-y in Jan-Dec 2025 to 7.3 mln tonnes. Shipments from the USA to UK increased by +48.1% y-o-y to 7.2 mln tonnes, accounting for just 6.5% of US LNG exports in Jan-Dec 2025”, the shipbroker concluded. Nikos Roussanoglou, Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide Top