China will pass Japan as the world’s largest importer of LNG in the coming months, new analysis from ICIS LNG Edge shows, adding to a long list of commodities where the People’s Republic ranks as the number one consumer.

In the 12 months from June 2020 to May, China imported 76.27m tonnes of LNG, just behind Japan’s 76.32m tonnes, ICIS Edge data shows.

China’s 2021 total LNG demand is now estimated at 81.2m tonnes, above 75.2 m tonnes for Japan.

“Strong economic performance, supportive government regulation and investment in LNG and gas infrastructure have led to an extended period of growth for China’s LNG demand,” ICIS LNG Edge said in a note.