Dubai – European liquefied natural gas imports declined by 13 percent on an annual basis during the third quarter of 2026, equating to a reduction of 3.21 million tons. Total shipments reached 21.52 million tons, down from approximately 24.73 million tons in the same period of 2025, according to a new report on global and Arab LNG market developments for Q3 2026 issued by Iqraa Energy Research Unit.
Top Importers Dominate Market
The Netherlands, France, and Italy led Europe’s LNG imports, collectively accounting for more than 51 percent of the total volume in the third quarter of this year. The Netherlands remained the largest importer despite a 16 percent annual drop to 4.54 million tons. France followed in second place with an 11 percent decline to 4.06 million tons, while Italy saw a 2.5 percent rise to 3.53 million tons.
Monthly Trends and Seasonal Data
Over the first nine months of the current year, European imports decreased by 3 percent to 87.37 million tons, compared to 89.96 million tons in the corresponding period of 2025. Despite the overall quarterly decline, monthly figures showed gradual recovery. July imports fell 29 percent year-on-year to 6.17 million tons, marking the lowest level since September 2021. August saw a slight 1.5 percent increase to 7.42 million tons, before September dropped 9 percent to 8.59 million tons.
Supply Constraints Drive US Dominance
Mei Majdi, a researcher at Iqraa Energy Research Unit, attributed the Q3 decline to price competition with Asia amid sharp reductions in Qatari supplies due to the Strait of Hormuz crisis. With Doha extending force majeure on deliveries to Asia and Europe until late November, the United States captured nearly two-thirds of European imports. This highlights how flows are tied to price differentials between markets.
Storage Levels and Future Outlook
Europe enters winter with gas storage levels at 73 percent as of October 7, having lowered its November target from 90 percent to 80 percent. Other notable importers included Spain and Germany, which fell 13 percent and 23 percent respectively. Poland dropped 26 percent, while Portugal rose 21 percent. Belgium fell sharply by 56 percent, Turkey declined 17 percent, and Greece increased 10 percent to 0.57 million tons.
This story was produced in the newsroom from the disclosed sources named above.
