China eyes Iranian LPG option
Loss of US shipments of key petrochemical feedstock could see Beijing look to Tehran with tariffs set to upend global LPG flows
China could turn to Iran to cover the loss of LPG shipments from the US, after sky-high tariffs imposed by Beijing on all American goods last week effectively closed the burgeoning LPG trade route between the US Gulf Coast and China for the second time in less than seven years. LPG, a hydrocarbon that is mainly a mix of propane and butane, is widely used in China as a key feedstock in the petrochemical industry and as a clean fuel source for cooking in the residential sector. Chinese imports of US LPG had weakened even before Beijing expanded its retaliatory tariffs last week to cover all US goods—including the fuel—and hiked them from 84% to a trade-collapsing 125%. Chinese LPG buyers hav
Also in this section
15 May 2025
Financial problems, lack of exploration success and political dogma cause uncertainty across much of the region
14 May 2025
The invisible hand of the market has seen increasing transparency but much more needs to be done to build a better understanding
13 May 2025
A fall in Venezuelan output drives overall production lower, as Saudi Arabia starts to slowly bring more crude to the market
12 May 2025
With the gas industry’s staunchest advocates and opponents taking brutal blows, the sector looks like treading a path of insipid indifference
