Top LNG exporters to the EU: Qatar absent for the first time
EU imports of liquefied natural gas fell 13.5% in the third quarter of 2026 to 20.38 million tonnes, from 23.54 million tonnes in the same period of 2025. The United States remained the largest supplier with 13.38 million tonnes, or 65.7% of total EU LNG imports, followed by Russia, Nigeria, Norway and Algeria. Qatar was absent from the list of largest exporters, having shipped no cargoes to the EU between May and September 2026 after declaring force majeure amid disruption to navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Why it matters: The composition of EU LNG imports bears directly on European energy security, since a single supplier now accounts for close to two-thirds of the bloc's deliveries.