SHANGHAI, July 23 (Xinhua) -- China's comprehensive import price index for liquefied natural gas (LNG) fell last week, according to the Shanghai Petroleum and Natural Gas Exchange (SHPGX).

A liquefied natural gas tanker, built by a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corp, docks at a terminal in Qingdao Port, Shandong province. (Photo: Han Jiajun/China News Service)

The LNG index, not including tax and processing fee, came in at 2,320 yuan (about 332 U.S. dollars) per tonne in the week ending July 19, down 6.9 percent from the previous week.

The index, jointly developed by a monitoring center under the General Administration of Customs and the SHPGX, was launched on Oct. 16, 2019, and is due on a weekly basis to offer a new pricing reference for importers.