Japan, the world's second largest LNG importer, bought 3.4 million metric tonnes of LNG from Qatar last year, customs data shows. Together with LNG supply from Oman and the United Arab Emirates, Japan imported around seven million tonnes of LNG from the Middle East last year, making up about 11% of its supply. Some of Japan's biggest LNG importers, including JERA and Kansai Electric Power, have offtake contracts with the Middle Eastern producers. Japan trades around 40 million tonnes of LNG annually and could redirect some of that back home in case of emergency. It also has a mechanism in place to buy at least one LNG cargo – or 70,000 metric tonnes – per month to mitigate supply risks.

Source: The Edge Markets March 03, 2026 02:14 UTC