Asian Buyers Diversify LPG Supply: Get Your CSR's Answer Ready

The Situation

The shift behind the headlines is in Asia. China, India and other Asian buyers are adding LPG from the U.S., Canada and Russia so they lean less on any single source, Butane-Propane News (BPN) reported Sept. 16, 2026. ADNOC is buying more ships, and some Middle Eastern suppliers are absorbing added costs such as insurance, BPN reported.

The Facts

Buyers spread out

Import data shows how far the shift has gone. The combined share of U.S. and Middle Eastern LPG in China's imports fell through the first half of 2026, according to the ICIS Supply and Demand Database cited by BPN. The Middle East's share of India's LPG imports also declined during the January to May 2026 period, the same ICIS database shows. China started earlier, after the U.S.-China tariff dispute. The Hormuz disruption then sped up the move to more suppliers across Asia.

A Chinese LPG importer quoted by BPN said companies still keep some term-contract purchases. Right now, though, they prefer the flexibility of buying on the spot market.

Suppliers respond

Market participants said in the BPN analysis that some Middle Eastern suppliers took on insurance-related and other added costs to ease buyer worries over supply security.

The catch

Price is likely to stay the main factor for both buyers and suppliers, BPN's analysis said. When supply risk runs high, as during the Strait closure, buyers give reliability more weight. In normal markets, lower-priced cargoes still come first. Even if Middle Eastern supply fully normalizes, suppliers there are likely to face more pricing pressure as competition from other sources grows, the analysis suggested. BPN said its information was accurate as of mid-August, and whether that pressure arrives is not yet confirmed.

Business Impact

What this means for your business

1. 1.Write a short script for whoever answers your phones, and sign off on the wording yourself. Keep it to two plain points. First, the BPN reporting is about Asian buyers such as China and India adding LPG from the U.S., Canada and Russia. Second, for any question about a delivery, the CSR checks the caller's account and your current schedule.

1. 1.Read the script aloud with each CSR once before peak season starts.

Competitive Advantage

A short, steady reply keeps a worried customer's call brief and frees the line for winter-fill orders. Start this week: tape the script next to every office phone.