BEIJING - China imported 3.25 million tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in March, up 64.2 percent year-on-year, data from the country's customs authority showed Monday.

Total LNG imports in the first three months reached 12.38 million tons, up 59.1 percent year-on-year, according to the General Administration of Customs.

China surpassed the Republic of Korea to become the world's second-largest importer of LNG in 2017, according to IHS Markit, a global marketing information company.

China's imports of natural gas have grown to meet increasing domestic natural gas consumption, which has been primarily driven by environmental policies to replace coal-fired electricity generation.