LUXEMBOURG / RankWire.AI / – In the second quarter of 2026, European Union saw a 55.8% rise in the monetary value of petroleum oil imports, despite volumes remaining nearly stable. Eurostat reported that the import volume hit 36.7 million tonnes, representing a 1.2% increase from the 2025 monthly average. These figures reveal a significant escalation in import worth without a corresponding rise in actual oil deliveries, encompassing crude petroleum oils entering the EU from non-member countries.
During the same period, liquefied natural gas (LNG) exhibited a different trend. EU LNG import value increased by 4.1%, even though import volume decreased by 5.6% from the monthly average of 2025. Conversely, natural gas in gaseous form experienced growth in both value and quantity, with an 18.5% increase in worth and a 3.4% rise in volume. These outcomes indicate that the three main categories of energy imports shifted at varying rates in terms of both monetary value and physical amounts during the quarter.
The United States emerged as the leading supplier of petroleum oils to the EU, accounting for 18.8% of imports in the second quarter. Norway supplied 14.3%, while Kazakhstan contributed 13.4%. Collectively, these nations represented 46.5% of the EU’s petroleum oil imports during that period. Different rankings applied to natural gas categories, with the United States leading in LNG shipments and Norway holding the largest share of gaseous natural gas imports.
United States Dominates EU LNG Imports
In the second quarter of 2026, the United States supplied 63.2% of the EU’s liquefied natural gas. Russia’s share was 17.3%, with Algeria accounting for 8.1%. These three sources together made up 88.6% of the total LNG imports in that period. This concentration exceeds that of petroleum oils, where the top three suppliers held less than 50% of imports. The data reflects each supplier’s portion of EU imports for the respective energy type.
During the same quarter, Norway provided 51.2% of the EU’s gaseous natural gas imports. Algeria was second at 18.2%, followed by the United Kingdom with 11.1%. Russia’s share was 10.2%, placing it behind the United Kingdom in this category. Eurostat compiled the quarterly data from Comext trade statistics and estimates. The energy products analyzed include crude petroleum oils, liquefied natural gas, and natural gas in gaseous form.
Oil Import Value Recovers After 2025 Drop
The rise in the second quarter follows a year in which EU petroleum oil imports declined in both value and volume. In 2025, the value of petroleum oil imports dropped by 17.8% from 2024, while the volume decreased by 6.1%. Overall, the EU imported €336.7 billion worth of energy in 2025, totaling 723.3 million tonnes. That year, total energy import value fell by 11.1%, and overall volume declined by 0.6%. These annual figures encompass energy imports from outside the EU.
Historical data also shows that EU energy import totals in 2025 were lower than those recorded in 2022. In 2022, energy imports valued €693.4 billion and reached 849.6 million tonnes. By 2025, the value had decreased by 51.4% and volume by 14.9% from those levels. Therefore, the second quarter of 2026 marks a significant increase in the value of oil imports compared to the 2025 monthly benchmark, while physical volumes remained close to that reference point.