China Boosts Fuel Exports as LNG Imports Dip in July

China’s July customs data point to a sharp shift in the country’s energy trade balance, with outbound shipments of refined fuels climbing even as liquefied natural-gas purchases fell. Gasoline exports rose 18.6% from a year earlier to 930,000 tons, while diesel exports jumped 53.2% to 820,000 tons. Alumina shipments also surged, up 56.4% to 230,000 tons. On the import side, liquefied natural-gas volumes slipped 6.7% year on year to 5.44 million tons, contrasting with a 4.8% increase in pipeline natural-gas inflows to 5.2 million tons. The divergent trends suggest refiners are directing more product abroad amid muted domestic demand, while utilities rely on steady pipeline gas supplies and increased coal-fired output to meet summer electricity needs. Separate industry data show fossil-fuelled power generation rising to an 11-month high in July, underscoring the tension between China’s near-term energy security priorities and longer-term decarbonisation goals.