U.S. LPG exports reached 56.9 million tons in the first nine months of 2026, indicating a 6.3% increase compared to last year. This ongoing growth in U.S. LPG exports dates back to previous years, where in 2025, a 6.1% increase was observed, in 2024, an 11.1% increase, and in 2023, a 15.0% increase.
Distribution of U.S. LPG Exports
The largest LPG loading ports in the U.S. in the first nine months of 2026 were as follows: Houston with 24.4 million tons, Beaumont with 16.2 million tons, Freeport with 6.9 million tons, Marcus Hook with 5.1 million tons, Corpus Christi with 1.6 million tons, Ferndale with 1.1 million tons, Gismar with 0.5 million tons, and Paulsboro with 0.3 million tons. 79.6% of the total LPG export volume during this period was loaded onto VLGC ships.
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China, the Main Destination for U.S. LPG Exports
China remains the largest destination for U.S. LPG exports, accounting for 16.4% of total U.S. exports. This figure has decreased from 29.5% in 2024. U.S. LPG exports to China reached 11.8 million tons in 2025, reflecting a 39.9% decrease compared to the previous year, and in the first nine months of 2026, this figure dropped to 9.3 million tons.
The European Union ranks second, accounting for 12.0% of U.S. LPG exports in the first nine months of 2026. During this period, the U.S. exported 6.8 million tons of LPG to the EU, indicating a 13.7% decrease compared to last year.
Additionally, in the first nine months of 2026, the U.S. exported 6.8 million tons of LPG to Japan (an increase of 17.8%) and 4.8 million tons to South Korea (a decrease of 14.3%). Exports to India increased by 282.1% to 4.7 million tons, and exports to Indonesia also rose by 20.8% to 4.4 million tons.
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