There are currently 18 LNG importing countries, and 28 more with plans to build offloading and regasification terminals.   18 countries are exporters.

The new floating LNG (or 'FLNG') plants took off strongly in 2008. This is a new, highly effective tool for the development of low-cost offshore gas stocks far from the coastline, thereby allowing gas stocks to be brought to market which would without this innovation be difficult to sell at a reasonable price.

In 2009 some of the leading oil companies worldwide announced plans to develop specific marine gas fields with the aim of reducing gas flaring, for example Shell on the coast of Western Australia and Petrobras in Brazil.

Despite the overall decrease of international trade, the LNG market has been more active than the previous year. In fact, in 2009 the amount of LNG that has moved in international trade amounted to 242 bcm, the highest figure in history and a 6.8% increase over 2008. This indicates that LNG trade accounted for 26.7% of total international trade in natural gas.

If we analyze the evolution of the most important countries for its LNG import records, there was a notable increase in the UK (from 1.04 bcm in 2008 to 10.24 bcm in 2009), Belgium (2.49 to 6.21 bcm), China (4.44 bcm to 7.63 bcm), Italy (1.56 bcm to 2.90 bcm) and the U.S., increasing its imports of 9.94 bcm in 2008 to 12.80 bcm in 2009, well below the expectations that were laid down in this country for several years only.

Spain continues located in third place among countries importing LNG in the world, behind Japan and South Korea.