China: LNG sales key part of trade with US

China and the United States have a significant opportunity for trade in liquefied natural gas (LNG), which can enhance global energy stability, according to Duan Zhaofang, director of the China National Petroleum Corp’s Economics and Technology Research Institute. Since China received its first US LNG shipment in 2016, LNG trade ties have been a crucial economic bridge between the world's two largest economies.

Recent long-term LNG off-take agreements signed between 2021 and 2023 have opened a new strategic window for deepening bilateral energy cooperation. In 2025, the US exported 110 million metric tons of LNG, becoming the first country to surpass the 100-million-ton threshold, accounting for about one-quarter of global LNG trade. As European natural gas demand softens, US suppliers are seeking reliable, large-scale buyers for stable long-term LNG off-take, making China a realistic and reliable partner for expanding US exports.

China's gas market is growing, offering long-term demand certainty, and the country plans to expand LNG receiving terminal unloading capacity to 200 million tons per year by 2030. Despite short-term adjustments in domestic LNG imports over the past two years, market fundamentals still point toward sustained growth. As China transitions to cleaner energy sources, natural gas will play an essential role in industrial fuel switching, power system peak-shaving, and clean heavy transport.

The China-US LNG partnership holds global significance as the international natural gas market undergoes supply-demand rebalancing and supply chain restructuring. Both countries, as the top LNG importer and exporter, respectively, must prioritize energy security and climate mitigation to maintain market transparency and price predictability, ensuring that energy collaboration remains a stabilizer for broader bilateral relations.