China to Resell First US LNG Cargo in a Year Instead of Importing It

Chinese buyers that received the first U.S. LNG cargo in over a year plan to resell it on another market to profit from higher prices elsewhere and avoid paying a 25% tariff, sources familiar with the plans told Bloomberg on Monday. The Yangpu port in south China earlier this month received a cargo of U.S. LNG from the Plaquemines LNG export terminal operated by Venture Global in Louisiana’s Plaquemines Parish.

This was the first U.S. shipment of gas to China in more than a year. But the gas was offloaded into bonded storage, without being…

LNG Market Background

The global LNG market has undergone a structural transformation in recent years, with U.S. exports reshaping trade flows and providing consuming nations with greater supply optionality. European buyers have accelerated long-term LNG contracting following the disruption of Russian pipeline gas supplies.

New LNG liquefaction capacity — from the U.S. Gulf Coast, Qatar's North Field expansion, and Australian projects — is expected to add significant supply volumes through the late 2020s, with implications for long-term contract pricing and spot market dynamics.

What to Watch

Stakeholders will be tracking spot LNG cargo pricing in Asian and European markets, liquefaction plant utilization rates, and upcoming long-term supply contract negotiations as global LNG trade flows continue to evolve.