Asia Took 41% of US LNG Exports in May, Up From 7% in January; EU Received 4 bcm Less During Refill
Asia-bound cargoes made up 41.3% of US LNG exports in May 2026, up from 7.1% in January, according to TEI's tally of the Department of Energy's cargo-level export file, which was updated through August on 22 October. Europe's share fell from 82.4% to 35.7% in June. In June and July Asian buyers took as much US LNG as European ones, or more, for the first time since August 2024.
The shift followed QatarEnergy's force majeure declaration of 4 March and the damage to two LNG trains at Ras Laffan later that month. Japan, South Korea and Taiwan together received 332.7 Bcf of US LNG from May to July, against 67.0 Bcf in January and February. India's April–July intake roughly tripled to 162.8 Bcf.
Total US exports rose 20.5% in April–July from a year earlier. The 27 EU member states received 143 Bcf less, about 4 bcm or 14%, during the months they were refilling storage. ACER reported today that EU storage reached 75% on 21 October after starting the summer at 28%.
August went the other way. Europe-bound volumes rose 34% from July to 269.3 Bcf, Asia-bound volumes fell 21% to 158.7 Bcf, and every spot cargo DOE recorded that month went to a European buyer.
Source: TEI research: Asia's Share of US LNG Rose From 7% to 41% After Qatar Stopped, and the EU Got 4 bcm Less During Its Refill; U.S. DOE, Natural Gas Imports and Exports Monthly 2026 and LNG cargo details (Jan 2016 - Aug 2026); ACER, EU gas storage is 75% filled (27 October 2026); Qatar News Agency, QatarEnergy declares force majeure on LNG supplies (4 March 2026)