The United States has emerged as India's largest supplier of liquefied petroleum gas in the first half of FY27, displacing West Asia as shipments from the Gulf collapsed and American cargoes more than tripled, according to Kpler shipping data.
The numbers behind the shift
Between April and September, India received 3.76 million tonne of LPG from the US, up 232% from 1.13 million tonne a year earlier. The US accounted for 50.7% of India's LPG imports, compared with just 9.9% in the corresponding period last year. West Asia, which had supplied the bulk of India's cooking gas a year earlier, saw its share plunge to 39.6% from 89.1%, with shipments from the region falling 71% year-on-year to 2.93 million tonne from 10.16 million tonne. Imports from the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia all fell sharply.
Imports fall as demand softens
The sourcing shift came against a broader decline in India's LPG imports. Total imports stood at 7.41 million tonne during April-September, down 35% from 11.41 million tonne a year earlier. The fall coincided with weaker domestic consumption: Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell data showed LPG sales declined 14.93% to 13.797 million tonne in the first six months of FY27. In September alone, consumption dropped 9.15% year-on-year to 2.636 million tonne, and overall imports stood at 1.39 million tonne, down 31.6% from a year earlier.
A partial Gulf recovery
September did see some recovery in West Asian cargoes, which nearly doubled month-on-month to about 909,000 tonne from 455,000 tonne in August, led by the UAE. Even so, supplies from the region remained around 51% lower than the 1.86 million tonne received in September 2025. Analysts link the structural shift to disruptions in the Persian Gulf that forced Indian refiners to diversify away from their traditional suppliers and sign term deals further afield.
Sources:
West Asia's share in India's LPG imports plunges to 40% from 89% — The Financial Express
India LPG Imports Shift: US Becomes Top Supplier As West Asia Share Falls To 40% — ABP Live
The numbers behind the shift
Between April and September, India received 3.76 million tonne of LPG from the US, up 232% from 1.13 million tonne a year earlier. The US accounted for 50.7% of India's LPG imports, compared with just 9.9% in the corresponding period last year. West Asia, which had supplied the bulk of India's cooking gas a year earlier, saw its share plunge to 39.6% from 89.1%, with shipments from the region falling 71% year-on-year to 2.93 million tonne from 10.16 million tonne. Imports from the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia all fell sharply.
Imports fall as demand softens
The sourcing shift came against a broader decline in India's LPG imports. Total imports stood at 7.41 million tonne during April-September, down 35% from 11.41 million tonne a year earlier. The fall coincided with weaker domestic consumption: Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell data showed LPG sales declined 14.93% to 13.797 million tonne in the first six months of FY27. In September alone, consumption dropped 9.15% year-on-year to 2.636 million tonne, and overall imports stood at 1.39 million tonne, down 31.6% from a year earlier.
A partial Gulf recovery
September did see some recovery in West Asian cargoes, which nearly doubled month-on-month to about 909,000 tonne from 455,000 tonne in August, led by the UAE. Even so, supplies from the region remained around 51% lower than the 1.86 million tonne received in September 2025. Analysts link the structural shift to disruptions in the Persian Gulf that forced Indian refiners to diversify away from their traditional suppliers and sign term deals further afield.
Sources:
West Asia's share in India's LPG imports plunges to 40% from 89% — The Financial Express
India LPG Imports Shift: US Becomes Top Supplier As West Asia Share Falls To 40% — ABP Live
