US LNG cargoes head to China for first direct deliveries of Trump’s second term

Four liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels are currently en route from the United States to China, marking what appears to be the first direct LNG shipments to China during U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term, according to data from financial firm LSEG.

The cargoes are expected to arrive in China in June and signal a potential early shift in energy trade flows between the world’s largest LNG exporter and its biggest importer, Reuters reports.

The development follows recent high-level discussions between Washington and Beijing. During a summit in Beijing last week, Trump said China is interested in purchasing U.S. oil, LNG, and other goods, telling Fox News on May 14 that Beijing “wants to buy oil, LNG and other goods from the United States.”

In previous years, China was a major buyer of U.S. LNG, but trade tensions and tariffs have significantly reduced flows. China continues to impose a 25% tariff on U.S. LNG, a barrier widely seen as limiting a broader recovery in bilateral energy trade.

According to industry data cited in reports from Reuters and S&P Global, these tariffs remain a key obstacle to restoring normal LNG trade despite growing global demand.

Market conditions have also tightened due to rising global gas prices linked to the conflict in Iran, increasing the likelihood that at least some of the current shipments will proceed to completion.

The vessels include the Umm Al Hanaya, which departed Cheniere Energy’s Sabine Pass terminal in Louisiana on May 5, and three others — Id’Asah, Al Sene, and Lamail — which left Venture Global’s Plaquemines facility between May 8 and May 18, according to LSEG data.

All four ships are scheduled to arrive at Tianjin port in China between June 15 and June 28. Cheniere Energy and Venture Global are the two largest U.S. LNG producers.

By Sabina Mammadli