Yuan makes oil and gas trade inroads
But the dollar still remains overwhelmingly the favoured currency
China’s status as the world’s biggest buyer of oil and gas has helped the country’s efforts to settle more purchases in its local currency gain some traction this year. But the potential rise of the yuan in international energy trading is unlikely to dislodge the US dollar from its dominant position in the global system any time soon. Recent economic and geopolitical developments have increased the potential attractiveness of trading oil and gas in non-dollar currencies—particularly the yuan, which is officially known as the Renminbi. After seeing how Western institutions froze Russian financial assets in spring 2022, Beijing is keener than ever to pursue its ‘de-dollarisation’ ambitions. Ch

Also in this section
23 May 2025
LNG projects need the certainty of long-term contracts, but Henry-Hub–linked deals put buyers at significant risk
22 May 2025
Industry says compliance is near-impossible and have called for more clarity to prevent cargoes being redirected
22 May 2025
The next energy crisis could come from the severing of the link between oil and gas prices, with potentially severe economic consequences
22 May 2025
With contract awards looming on the Kuwait-Saudi backed Dorra field, the long-stalled gas project appears finally to be gaining traction—despite Iranian objections