Shell warns of tight liquified natural gas market

Liquefied natural gas markets grew last year amid increased U.S. exports and Chinese import growth, part of the wider worldwide gas demand recovery from COVID-19, per new Shell data.

The big picture: Global LNG trade grew by 6% over 2020, with Chinese imports rising almost 18%. Shell also confirms other analyses showing the U.S. moving past Qatar and Australia to become the world's largest annual exporter this year.

Threat level: It warns that more investment is needed as Asian demand keeps rising.

• "The global LNG market is expected to remain tight in the near term, with a supply-demand gap forecast to emerge in the middle of the current decade," it states.