China's imports of liquefied natural gas are set to drop this month from a year earlier, according to ship-tracking data, as higher prices triggered by the war in the Middle East weighed on consumption. Deliveries are estimated at around 5.2 million tons in August, 18% lower than the same month last year, according to the data from Kpler. That's a stark contrast from the year-on-year jumps seen over the previous three months, which were supported by a push to refill inventories to meet peak summer demand.