India pays $353 mn extra for LNG in March-April as US cargoes replace Qatari supplies

India sharply cut LNG imports from Qatar between March and May as supply disruptions in West Asia forced buyers to find alternatives. Purchases from the United States rose to 0.91 million tonnes in May, accounting for more than 41% of India’s LNG imports that month. Even as import volumes fell 22.9% year on year, average LNG procurement costs in March-April climbed to nearly $602 per tonne, lifting implied import costs to about $11.8–11.9/MMBtu. Higher prices have continued to squeeze gas-consuming sectors including fertilisers, city gas distribution and power generation.