As the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz (SoH) nears 120 days, with US-Iran peace talks seesawing, India continues to import record volumes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States, which has emerged as New Delhi's top supplier for both commodities during the first 90 days of the West Asia conflict, according to The Hindu BusinessLine citing data from Kpler.
Record US imports in May
India's LPG imports from the US during May 2026 stood at a record 0.63 million tonnes (mt), while LNG imports hit a record 0.91 mt, per Kpler data. Provisional data for June (till June 19) shows LPG imports at roughly 0.50 mt, down 21% from May but up 52% year-on-year. LNG imports in the same provisional period stood at about 0.41 mt, down 55% from May's record, but up 46% year-on-year, the analytics provider reported.
Supply shift driven by geopolitical disruption
The blockade, which began in late February 2026, has severely disrupted Gulf flows, prompting India to pivot sharply toward the US. Washington supplied 1.5 mt of LNG to India during March-May 2026, compared to only 0.1 mt from Qatar. In the same period a year earlier, Qatar supplied 3 mt versus the US's 0.5 mt. India's cumulative LNG imports for the March-May 2026 quarter stood at 5.8 mt, a 6.5% decline year-on-year.
LPG imports from the US surged even more dramatically. India imported 1.49 mt of LPG from the US in the quarter ending May 31, 2026, a 1,556% increase from 0.09 mt in the year-ago period. India's total LPG imports for March-May 2026 were 3.37 mt, down almost 40% year-on-year, as lower Middle Eastern availability was partly offset by higher US inflows. The US, which was India's fifth-largest LPG supplier in January 2026, became the top supplier for three consecutive months starting March.
| Commodity | Period | US Supply | Qatar Supply | Total India Imports | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LNG | Mar-May 2026 | 1.5 mt | 0.1 mt | 5.8 mt | -6.5% |
| LNG | Mar-May 2025 | 0.5 mt | 3.0 mt | n/a | n/a |
| LPG | Mar-May 2026 | 1.49 mt | n/a | 3.37 mt | -40% |
| LPG | Mar-May 2025 | 0.09 mt | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Demand side: structural dependence on Gulf
Despite the pivot, Sumit Ritolia, Kpler's Lead Research Analyst for Refining & Modeling, noted that India remains structurally dependent on Gulf supply, though sourcing patterns shifted during the disruption. "LPG was impacted the most, with Gulf suppliers losing market share to the US. Crude imports were more resilient due to bypass routes and incremental volumes from Russia, Brazil and Venezuela," he told The Hindu BusinessLine. LNG imports weakened in March 2026 before recovering in April-May, with Qatar's share dropping sharply while the US, Oman, Nigeria and Angola became more important sources.
Outlook: gradual reopening expected
On the possibility of re-opening the Strait of Hormuz, Ritolia said crude and LNG imports have proven relatively resilient throughout the disruption, unlike LPG, which has been the most severely affected. "As a result, the recovery is likely to be sequential, with LPG flows normalising first, followed by LNG and crude. Under our base case of a gradual reopening from early July, the initial focus will be on clearing trapped cargoes and restoring shipping flows before Gulf exporters can materially increase exports," he anticipated.
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