Japan's LNG Imports from Russia Surge Amid Global Energy Risks

Japan's imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) saw a significant increase this year, particularly in June when it surged by 52% year-on-year to 382,000 tons. Since the beginning of the year, Japan has reduced its overall LNG imports by 4% to 30.88 million tons.

The country's Japanese buyers have been consistently purchasing Russian gas under long-term contracts, opting to avoid volatile spot market deals. This strategy appears to be paying off, with Russia becoming one of Japan's largest suppliers of LNG this year, despite a slight decrease in deliveries from the United States.