Overview

China increased its imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia by 16% in January-April compared with the same period last year, reaching 2.02 million tons, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs of China and reported by TASS. The value of those deliveries, however, declined by 4.6% to $992.77 million in the same period.

In the broader energy trade picture, Russia also maintained its position as China's largest oil supplier, with purchases rising 26% year-on-year to 40.83 million tons in the four-month period, per the same customs data. Russian crude deliveries grew by 21.5% in value terms to $20.94 billion.

Coverage comparison

All the data cited in this article comes from TASS, the Russian state news agency, which reported the customs figures in a series of dispatches on May 20. TASS highlighted the year-on-year growth in LNG and oil volumes, as well as the month-on-month increase in pipeline gas deliveries to China. No other news outlet's coverage was available for comparison in this report.

Key claims

The customs data, as relayed by TASS, includes several notable figures:

  • LNG imports: China's LNG imports from Russia rose 16% year-on-year to 2.02 million tons in January-April. In terms of value, the imports fell 4.6% to $992.77 million. Russia ranked fourth among LNG suppliers to China, with Australia leading (5.35 million tons, down 15.9%), Qatar second (4.35 million tons, down 34.7%), and Malaysia third (2.3 million tons). Indonesia followed Russia with 974,000 tons. According to the customs data, the United States did not supply LNG to China in the period.
  • Pipeline gas: Russian pipeline gas supplies to China increased 1.8% in value in April compared with March, to $703.9 million, placing Russia second among suppliers after Turkmenistan ($708 million). The total value of pipeline gas China bought from Russia in January-April 2026 was $3 billion, 9.5% lower than in the same period of 2025.
  • Oil: China's oil purchases from Russia rose 26% year-on-year to 40.83 million tons in January-April, with the value up 21.5% to $20.94 billion. Russia remained the largest oil exporter to China. Saudi Arabia was the second-largest supplier, though its exports fell 10.3% to 22.97 million tons. Other major suppliers included Brazil (20.91 million tons, up 84%), Malaysia (17.49 million tons, down 33%), and Indonesia (14.1 million tons).

Perspectives

TASS reported the figures without editorial commentary, focusing on the data from China's customs agency. The reports emphasize the continued growth of Russian energy exports to China amid Western sanctions, which have pushed Moscow to pivot its energy sales to Asian markets. The drop in value terms for LNG, despite higher volumes, may reflect lower global prices, though the data provided does not include a breakdown of prices or contract terms.

It is important to note that the information is derived solely from TASS, which is a state-run agency and may not be entirely independent. No independent verification of the customs data was available in the sources reviewed.