China suspended liquid gas imports from America amid tariff war: report

China has suspended all the imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States for more than ten weeks, effectively cutting trade in the region as new tariffs make American gas unacceptable in the Chinese market.
According to Financial Times shipping data, the final record from the US LNG shipment-Corpus Christie, 69,000 tonnes from Texas- originated in Fuzian province of China on 6 February. A second shipment bound to China went to Bangladesh after failing to do a 15% tariff on 10 February. That duty has been increased by 49%since then, effectively US LNG has been excluded from China.
“There will be long-term results,” said Anne-Sofi Corbue of Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy. “I don’t think Chinese LNG importers will ever contract any new US LNG.”
The current freeze represents a similar stop during the first term of US President Donald Trump, which lasted for more than a year. Analysts have warned that renewed stagnation can affect the viability of large LNG infrastructure projects in the US and Mexico, especially dependent on Chinese investment and long -term contracts.
Trade rift has pushed China ahead to lead Russian energy sources. “I’m sure there are lots of buyers. So many buyers are asking the embassy to help establish contact with Russian suppliers,” said Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.
Russia has now become China’s third largest LNG supplier after Australia and Qatar. The conversation is going on Siberia 2 Pipeline PowerWhich will strengthen this energy alliance.
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Chinese importers began to resume US LNG cargo in Europe, where prices were more attractive. The US LNG calculated just 6% of China’s LNG imports in 2024, below 11% in 2021.
KPLER analyst Gillian Bokra stated that short -term approach to Fresh LNG trade is tarnished. “The last time this happened, until the Chinese authorities exempted the companies, there was a complete interval, but it was at a time when the demand for gas was booming. Now we are looking at low economic growth, and we feel that Chinese can face the loss of these cargo.”
Richard bronze on energy aspects hopes that global trade flow will be reshuffled as a result. “With the tariff rising to the level where they are an effective embarrago, we will see a reshuffle of the business flow,” he said. “We also hope that Asia’s demand will fall to 5–10 million tonnes as a whole. This will reduce gas prices in Europe slightly.”