Belgium Sees Surge in Russian LNG Imports Amid Rising Trade

Imports of Russian goods to Belgium have sharply increased over the past three months, mainly due to liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries.

This was reported by the National Bank of Belgium.

According to the regulator, from July to August 2025, the volume of imports from Russia rose by 113.5% compared to the same period last year. The main driver of growth was LNG, which accounted for two-thirds of all imports from Russia since the beginning of 2025. The remaining shipments included metals and chemical products.

The National Bank noted that the sharp rise in LNG imports over the past three months, especially in July and August when deliveries tripled, completely reversed the long-term trend in imports from Russia.

Since the beginning of the year, the value of LNG purchased from Russia has already approached the total level for all of 2024.

Meanwhile, the European Union continues negotiations to fully stop imports of Russian oil and gas by January 2028. Sanctions are also being discussed that would ban Russian LNG imports a year earlier.